


The Lonely Goddess

by Sybaen



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, Fantasy, Friendship, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:22:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 39
Words: 210,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22213975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybaen/pseuds/Sybaen
Summary: A goddess creates the world of Remnant, intent on becoming friends with the characters. But when her plans begin to tear apart at the seams, she has to accept that she might not have as strong a grip on Fate as she'd thought. With Ozpin prying into her secrets, and a team she hadn't been expecting, will she be able to walk the razor's edge and save them all in the end?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 38
Kudos: 111





	1. Boredom

The wind whipped lazily through the city, kicking up discarded trash along the streets, and was readily ignored by the populace. She sat above them all, on her little solitary rooftop ledge, watching the humans below scurry around like ants. They mindlessly went about their day with no regard for the person that could erase their entire existence on a whim.

In truth, she wasn't in the mood for anything so drastic anyway.

She sat with one leg tucked up to rest her chin on, the other dangling over the edge, idly kicking back and forth in a small motion that tapped her heel against the brick wall. Her eyes were glazed over in thought, not really paying attention to the humans beneath her either.

She kept them around for her entertainment. To play with, to laugh with, to read their stories and watch their shows. Honestly, that's the only reason she made them in the first place. She had spent a long time as God; since the beginning of time itself, in fact. She had created worlds with eldritch horrors and abominations, worlds of mystery and romance, of heroes and monsters, all to evade that one emotion that she dreaded above all others.

Unfortunately, a single being can only imagine so many things, even with unimaginable power at their disposal… Right now she wasn't fighting monsters, wasn't excitedly gathering her things to set off on some grand adventure, wasn't sad about a loss or shocked by some great tragedy… Right now she was exactly what she feared most…. She was bored.

She had already created the worlds of all her favorite books to reenact, fought the Balrog side by side with Gandolf, Force choked Darth Vader because she thought it would be funny, attended Hogwarts so she could teach that Malfoy boy a lesson or two. She had lived thousands of lives and dropped them, one and all, to the wayside once that familiar feeling started to return.

She gave a small " _hmph_ ", into her knee. She needed the next adventure, the next challenge, the next group of friends to call her own. The wind that had been blowing lightly across the rooftop mimicked her displeasure. The wind picked up, and a sudden gust blew around her, carrying with it the sounds of someone in distress.

A feminine shriek pierced the air.

Instantly, She was on her feet, the enticing sound of something exciting drawing her towards it. In a literal flash of violet and purple light, she was standing on the opposite ledge, peering down into the alleyway below. Her eyes hungered as she noticed the woman along with the man attacking her. He had pushed the woman against the wall, the hand holding her also clutching a large knife in a white-knuckle grip. The man's other hand was clumsily tugging at the girl's belongings, trying to rip them from both her hands.

She descended in another flash, now standing behind the man on ground level. "Excuse me?" She said playfully, giving him a sharp tap on the shoulder.

With a shocked gasp, the man quickly turned from the woman and attacked, knife flashing through the air to plunge down into her collarbone. No pained scream escaped her lips, not even the slightest gasp of breath. Instead She smiled as the man's expression went from horror to what he had done, back to confusion, then reverted to horror as he watched her tilt her head, smiling wider.

She lifted her hand up to grip his own and kept it held in place, the knife still buried five inches into her collarbone. In fear, he let go of the prize he had sought behind him. Both hands came up, the other gripping at his wrist as he struggled to pull himself free. His veins popped out from exertion, his eyes flared open in terror. Her hand did not budge, nor did she buckle or stagger as his other hand began pounding against her chest, her stomach, her head.

Seeing what was happening in front of her, the woman dropped her belongings and screamed again, bolting out from behind the man and continuing to scream as she tripped. The woman's ankles buckled, incapable of running well in the high heels she wore.

Still, the woman didn't spare a moment to glance behind her, instead staggering back to her feet and running once again. The woman was soon lost to the concrete jungle that surrounded them.

She didn't really fault the woman for being afraid or running away. She had purposefully not included magic or wonder in this world. All the more reason for them to create things that She could then enjoy for herself.

"Awww, I didn't even get the maiden's favor for saving her. This world sucks," She said, feigning a pout and watching the woman go. She still ignored the futile attempts to dislodge her hand from the man's own.

"Just let go, you bitch!" the man yelled in her face.

She spared him a sideways glance, ' _Was that really any way to talk to your god?_ ', but sighed. The humans didn't know that. She had tried outing herself as god before, but it was never fun. They would just throw themselves in front of her and beg and beg and beg, or try to denounce her no matter what miracles she performed right in front of their eyes. With a sharp twist she snapped the man's wrist, forcing him to let go of the knife as he yelled in pain, leaving it stuck in her.

' _That still wasn't any way to treat a woman._ '

Already, the momentary respite from boredom was beginning to fade. There was nothing fun or challenging about this. She had tried being a vigilante before as well, and it had gotten old pretty fast. She could only hear a choked up 'thank you' so many times before they all blended together.

With another sigh, she spun the man to face the end of the alley the woman had run out of and gave him a little kick, finally releasing his wrist in the process. The man immediately cradled his wrist in his other hand and ran, only turning back for a brief moment to make sure she wasn't following him.

Reaching up, she tugged the knife out, shaking her head at the lack of blood. The hole it left behind closed the instant the knife was removed. She dropped the knife, letting it clatter down against the pavement. The sound did draw her attention, though, and there she saw the bag that the woman had been so desperately holding on to. She reached down and picked it up, curious as to what it could possibly hold that would mean more to the woman than her life.

She rested her head in one hand a moment later, as the contents had been revealed to her. ' _Seriously, do my creations value their lives so little?_ ' A small pile of DVDs met her eyes, brightly colored and still wrapped in thin plastic. With vague disinterest, she pulled one of the DVDs out to examine it more closely. Her eyes lit up at the cover. Four girls of varying color and poses stood side by side, in a banner like array. She read the title out loud, already turning away to head back home and start watching them.

"RWBY, huh?"


	2. Creation

Flashy fights, inspiring words, adorable girls and despicable villains. She slumped in her chair, rewatching the best moments of the show over and over. How many times had She rewatched the Nevermore fight? Yang vs Mercury? Torchwick vs Blake and Sun? Qrow vs Winter? Pyrrha vs Cinder? She was enthralled. She poured over the forums, played the games, and left the songs on blast. 

It just wasn’t enough.

With determination, she soaked in every detail she could about the world and prepared herself for what she had to do. This was never _easy_ , per say, but neither was it exactly difficult. 

She created a new dimension.

Someone watching from the outside might have described it as her simply vanishing into another place, but it was much more difficult than that. With a mighty _heave_ , she shoved the entire universe aside that she was currently in, making way for something new to be created. The old one was still there, an intangible distance away along with all the other worlds she had created since the first, each ready to be stepped in to at a moment’s notice. 

Now she stood in some place _new_ , fresh. It wasn’t pitch black from lack of light, as many thought it might be, nor was it basked in an omni-present and all expanding white light like many fiction writers described it. The place around her simply _wasn’t_ anything, because she had not _made_ it anything yet. 

With a flick of her wrist, a sun bloomed into existence. Next she brought out a map of Remnant, and with precision, sculpted the planet in the space in front of her. She got to work adding in the continents, then the valleys, oceans and rivers and lakes, the mountains and vegetation, the weather always came last, as she set the equator in relation to the sun itself, adjusting them until she was confident in their accuracy. 

With a little speed up of time, the weather truly took effect, blanketing the northern areas in snow and heating up the equator, creating a true landscape that would have taken her infinitely longer to do by hand. With a final touch, she threw her arms wide, a scattering of stars blanketing the darkness, along with the moon itself. It was a large, elegant pearl, destined to be half destroyed in due time. 

She dusted her hands off and paused, bringing out another image from her pocket. This time it was of the two gods from the show, the God of Light, and the God of Darkness. It was not difficult to create the pretenders. She kept how she imagined them firmly in her mind as she brought them into existence. They would have false memories, believing that they themselves had caused this beautiful landscape to come into existence, and they would never be any the wiser to her own presence. 

The two brothers set about doing what they did best. She sped up time as she watched them, the God of Light creating, the God of Destruction then blasting it to bits. They bickered and fought, mountains toppled in the God of Destruction’s wake, only for the God of Light to bring them right back. In time, they finally reached a mutual agreement, coming together to spawn humanity on to the planet’s surface. 

She watched eagerly as events began to take place in fast forward. Cities seemed to spring up overnight. The fledglings that were humanity found their wings and spread out across the land. 

The God of Light kept his shrine of worship close at hand, easily accessible to those that would wish to have an audience with him. The God of Darkness secluded himself off into the furthest reaches of the western continent, eradicating the vegetation from the landscape and erecting huge pillars of purple crystal in their wake. The creatures of Grimm began to swarm the area soon after, not yet venturing out into the lands of man.

Time passed, and in the blur of it all, She did not keep track of the events leading up to the extinction. Humanity was there one moment, and in a purple flash that encompassed the planet, gone the next. She slowed time back down to a normal pace as she took in the devastation. She watched as eventually, Salem crawled her way out of the crater the exploding moon had left, one among many. She did not envy Salem, having to take the long way through time, but there was nothing to be done about it. She could hardly expose herself now. 

She sped up time again as Salem began her futile trek across the land. 

* * *

Time continued on, and everything seemed to be running smoothly. 

That is, until the entire world suddenly came to a jarring halt.

“ _What is it this time?_ ” She mused in mild exasperation. Things of this nature had happened before in other worlds, only ever during their creation, on their path to the goal she had in mind. Usually it meant there was something simple, but important that she had overlooked, some detail that would help shape the future correctly that she had not taken into account. 

She eyed the landscape. All _seemed_ well. The humans had started to reconstruct their civilizations after the calamity. The faunus had sprung up, seemingly from nowhere. They were mining and using dust, building towns, fighting off the creatures of Grimm… where was the problem? She pondered her dilemma for a moment before smacking herself in the forehead.

It was about time for Ozma to be resurrected, and for the Relics to be made. 

With ease, she slipped into the space between life and death that the pretenders had manifested, where she knew the God of Light would be speaking with Ozma, trying to convince him to return to the land of the living. Indeed, there they stood, frozen in time as the God of Light was putting on a show, arms outstretched around versions of the Relics that floated in mid air. 

The problem was, She didn’t know exactly what the Relics were supposed to do. 

‘ _If I give them some ability they didn’t have before, the world could change in some drastic, unforseen way..._ ’ 

She started with the easiest of them all, the one she _knew_. With a flick of her hand, the Relic of Knowledge appeared before her, floating gracefully as the others did. She crooked one finger towards it, and the blue and gold globe drifted down to rest in front of her.

“Jinn?”

As she spoke the name, a hazy blue mist began to coil itself out of the lamp, coalescing into a large, floating blue woman clad only in golden chains and accessories. The being that was Jinn leaned forward, gazing down at her with an expression of pure confusion.

“I do not know who you are,” Jinn stated simply, tilting her body forward to get a better look at the woman in front of her, “I was created to know everything past or present.” 

“I am god,” she replied simply.

“ _He_ is God,” Jinn argued, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at where the God of Light stood.

“A pretender, one of my creations, and a god only in name,” She responded, giving a light laugh.

Jinn gave her a skeptical eye, crossing her arms and looking her up and down, “Prove it.”

She pointed towards the God of Light, drawing Jinn’s attention to him. With a lazy flick of her hand, she ended his existence.

Jinn turned back to her in horror, eyes going wide. Her expression came across as rather muted, and She could only laugh at the attempt. Jinn had just been born, after all. She couldn’t expect her to be a master of facial expressions quite yet. 

With another lazy flick, She brought the God of Light back, reverting the changes to his existence, and gave a subtle shrug to the relic.

“Well, color me impressed,” Jinn said, still wide-eyed.

“And what color is that?” She asked, tilting her head.

“Blue, apparently,” Jinn laughed, turning back to her. “So, what should I call you? God?”

“Eh, I’m not too big on titles. Worship isn’t all that fun. I don’t even know why the God of Darkness was so jealous of his brother in the first place. All the humans ever do is whine for things, disparage your name, or thank you for things you usually had nothing to do with.”

“So, what then?” Jinn asked, amused.

“I thought _you_ were the one that answered questions~?” She asked with a light laugh, then shook her head, admonishing herself. “I’ve had countless names, but I suppose I’ll have to come up with one for the life I’m trying to give myself here.”

She idly twirled her finger in her hair, sparing a considering eye for it. The time she wanted to drop herself into focused on physical attributes like the color of one’s hair and eyes. Her own was cropped to shoulder length, light purple and becoming slightly more washed out towards the ends, while her eyes were a mesmerizing and vibrant pink. 

“What do you think?” She asked, holding up the hairs she had twirled around her finger.

“Lucy? How about Amanda?”

She shook her head, “In the future, where I want to live, they name their children based on colors, or stuff that sounds like a color, or after something that makes you think of a color… You get the point.”

“Well, I can’t say I know anything about the future, but judging you as you are now, I would call your hair various shades of violet,” Jinn replied slowly, focusing on her hair in particular.

“I like that. Violet,” She seemed to ponder the name, testing it in her mouth, “And my friends could just call me Vi.” Her face lit up, now enjoying the name more as she got used to it. 

“Violet it is, then,” Jinn smiled, “You have now used one of three questions allowed this century.”

“Ummmm, worth?” Violet laughed, “Don’t count that one, honestly.”

“As you wish, Violet,” Jinn allowed herself to relax a little, “Is there anything else you might ask of me, since this is probably the only time I’ll be able to talk with someone so freely?” 

“Yeah, actually,” Violet pointed past Jinn to the other relics still floating in the air behind her, “Do you know what any of those are supposed to do, specifically?”

Jinn frowned, “The Relics are as follows: the Relic of Knowledge, which is mine, the Relic of Destruction, the Relic of Choice, and the Relic of Creation. Beyond that…” Jinn became visibly frustrated as she tried to think of the answer, “I don’t know their exact functions.”

“That’s alright. I expected as much,” Violet nodded, walking over to gaze at the relics more closely. “I guess we’ll just have to get as close as we can, right?”

They both sat in silence for a time, pondering the question that floated before them, tauntingly just out of reach. 

“Do you think the relics are split evenly? Two for the elder brother, two for the younger? He does preach about keeping the balance a lot.”

“I… wouldn’t put it past him,” Jinn acknowledged, “Which do you think belong to each of them?”

“Well... what got me thinking about it in the first place is the Relic of Choice,” Violet replied, “The Relic of Destruction is obvious, but choice? What could it’s function possibly be? Humans and faunus already have choice, they were born with it, they live their entire lives with it. So what if the Relic of Choice was actually the opposite? What if it could be used to rob someone of their choice, forcing them down a different path altogether? That would definitely be evil, which would leave the Relics of Knowledge and Creation for the God of Light, both undeniably good things in my book.”

“Is it truly a choice if the option was never on the table for you to begin with?” Jinn asked back, thoughtful, but with a hint of uncertainty to her voice. 

“I suppose not...” Violet’s train of thought kept chugging along despite the momentary derailment, “So, perhaps it only works on someone if there was a chance they might have made that decision themselves, _but_ it forces their hand?” Violet’s eyes lit up, “That would explain why Ozma couldn’t just use it on Salem, forcing her to be good, while also keeping it worthy enough of being a relic.”

Jinn continued to think on it for a few moments before shrugging, “It makes sense.”

“Alrighty, then! One Relic of Not-Actually-Choice coming right up!” Violet gestured as she said this. The relic morphed into existence, a golden crown with five protrusions along the top, starting with the tallest in the center and gradually becoming smaller on either side. 

“That takes care of that, now on to an easier one,” Violet chirped happily, “The Relic of Destruction. Easy enough, it destroys things when you swing it at them.”

“How much does it destroy, though?” Jinn asked tentatively, eyes on the floating version above Ozma.

“Hmmm, that _is_ the issue, isn’t it?” Violet contemplated.

“Do you know anything more about it from the future?”

She had one finger to her lower lip, idly tapping away as she pondered the question, “Ozma did supposedly lay waste to a lot of people with it in one big battle. So somewhere between ‘obliterates mountains in a single swing’ and ‘much better than your average sword?”

“That’s a fairly wide range, if you ask me.”

“I wouldn’t waste a question on something like _that_ ,” Violet teased, before turning back to the relic, “I don’t think it matters as much. It needs to be strong enough to be useful. Just not so strong that Ozma dies while foolishly trying to kill Salem with it.” 

Violet gestured once again, and the empty space in front of her spit the sword out onto the incorporeal surface they were standing on, “Strong enough to take out about fifteen or so people with a single swing should do it.”

Jinn nodded her agreement as they both turned to look at the last relic that did not have a duplicate sitting on the floor in front of them. The Relic of Creation floated in place, mocking her with it’s secrets.

“Any insight on this one?” Jinn asked.

“This one ends up in Atlas. They easily have the best technology out of any of the four kingdoms, which makes sense if they were using it the whole time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ironwood had been doing that. As long as whatever we give it makes it put out the same results, then this shouldn’t be too tough either. How about… grants the user enhanced insight into the methods of creation, making it easier to advance their technology at an exponential rate?”

“Are you sure that’s all they use it for?”

Violet rocked back and forth for a moment, deep in thought before her eyes lit up, “Penny!”

“What’s a penny?”

Violet scoffed, “Not _a_ penny. Penny! She is, and I quote, ‘the world’s first synthetic person capable of generating an aura’. Which meaaaaannnssss,” Violet let the silence hang in the air for a moment, building the dramatic tension, “The Relic was used to give her a soul!”

Jinn stood by as Violet gestured again. This time the Relic of Creation appeared before her with a pop. She stood tall, looking down at her work. 

“Not too shabby, eh?” Violet said cockily, looking over her shoulder at Jinn.

“Well... I hope I was of some use,” Jinn replied with a half smile. All things considered, the ghost historian seemed bluer than usual.

“What’s the matter?” Violet asked, giving Jinn a closer look.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m just savoring the moment. Now that we’re done, you’ll be on your way. I don’t need to see the future to know that much.”

Violet nodded in understanding, “It’s going to be awfully boring waiting in that lamp and only being able to speak to someone three times a century…”

Jinn let her mood show, her face downcast and crestfallen. 

“...Which is why I’ll be sure to pop in, and keep you company from time to time,” Violet announced with a firm nod, then grinned at the pleased expression on Jinn’s face.

“Thank you, Violet” Jinn breathed. Violet smiled, pleased with herself. It seems there was a little bit of power left in those words. She did enjoy the banter with Jinn, and not only because she was someone that had appeared on the show briefly.

“I will need you to do me a couple favors, though,” Violet said finally, eyeing the tall blue being in front of her.

“Anything for you, Violet.”

“Call me Vi.”

Jinn’s breath caught momentarily before her expression grew into an even wider smile, “And the second thing?”

“Don’t mention me to anyone. As far as they should be concerned, the God of Light and Darkness are the only deities that exist in this world. If someone asks about me, just pretend you don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Jinn nodded her affirmation, and Violet waved as she returned into the lamp. Violet left it at that, certain the God of Light would be able to take things from there easily enough. As she left, the world lurched back into motion, time finally finding its legs again, and pushing forward with fervor as she skipped through time. 

* * *

Keeping to her word, Violet stopped at the beginning of every year, and paid Jinn a visit. They spoke in earnest, as Violet felt it was her duty to help assuage Jinn’s boredom. They spoke little of the world as it was. Jinn could not be entertained by thoughts of things she already knew. Instead, Violet spoke of the future, and when that ran out, she talked about the other worlds she had visited, the worlds she had created. Her head was brimming with daring tales and heartbreak, and kept Jinn entertained for at least one day each year. 

Time continued on, ever nearing Violet’s true goal. Wars were fought, blood was shed, and the schools were finally created, the Relics hidden within their vaults to collect dust. The small pocket dimension that Ozma created didn’t deter her in the slightest regarding her visits to Jinn, and she ignored the other vaults entirely, content to let them be. She did not need their power. 

Ozpin was born, then after a time, Team STRQ joined Beacon. Violet watched with more interest as they fought. Qrow and Raven didn’t mesh well at first, not with their true objective in mind. Over time, however, Tai and Summer managed to worm their way into the two’s hearts, and Tai into Raven’s bed. 

Then, around two years after Team STRQ’s graduation, Violet’s time had finally come. Raven was pregnant with Yang. There wasn’t any time to lose, Violet also need to be ‘born’.


	3. Twisting Fate

Violet found a fitting couple. A young, wealthy pair that owned a real estate company, of sorts. Her future father had inherited it as part of the family business, but he already had a son, so she doubted he would attempt to force her into working for the company if she didn't want to.

They had plots of land and houses a plenty, including locations in both Atlas and Vale, which worked well enough for Violet's plans. 'Luckily', the woman had purple hair similar to hers, and the man had eyes that were close enough, if somewhat more muted than her own. To top it off, his family name was old, or at least older than most.

Nodding her head, Violet settled on them, then grimaced. She didn't enjoy this process. Whenever she wanted to truly make herself a part of the world this way, she had to grit her teeth and bear it. It wasn't the act of being born that bothered her, but the nine months of waiting that led up to it. It was boring and tedious, but it had to be done. She wanted to integrate smoothly, and this was the best way to do it.

So with a few suggestions on the couple's consciousness, and nine months of boredom, she was brought into the world in the best medical facility Atlas had to offer, which is to say, the best there is. Their technology had always been leaps and bounds ahead of any other, especially with the Relic of Creation being used without Ozpin's knowledge.

Her birth was as easy as it gets. Entirely uncomplicated, Violet made sure of it. After a whole lot of patience, 'I didn't even have teeth to grit together', and a few mild suggestions, she was finally born.

Violet Regalia's cries greeted the world with tiny open arms.

* * *

The first seven years were entirely uneventful, as is the case with most children raised by wealthy parents with a dozen maids to wait on them and their offspring, hand and foot. Violet wanted for nothing, and her parents made sure of it. She excelled in the lessons that her private tutors gave her. How could she not? Violet flew through the material they presented her with, and she made sure to power through and make sure they kept it coming.

This phase of life was always boring. More of a chore than actual life. On top of that, Violet only slept if she wanted to. She didn't truly need it, like the mortals around her. Instead, she took that time to check in on the world, making sure everything was going as it should.

Raven left Tai, Summer fell in love with him, Ruby was born not long after. Ren's village was destroyed, and he escaped with Nora in tow. Blake joined the White Fang that her dad had created, a pitifully small child holding up a sign. Weiss grew up similar to Violet, if only with even more wealth at her family's disposal.

And Jaune… Eh, Violet didn't bother peeking in on him as much. He was a terrible child, far too naive, spouting that he would become a great hero, while putting in no effort to actually attain it. He seemed to believe that everything would come to him naturally, just falling into place as if the world itself revolved around him.

Violet's mind wandered as she pondered one of her constant issues. She was dimly aware of one of her tutors still in the room, but his voice was drowned out, background noise to the conflict taking place in her mind. Who's team did she want to be on? She didn't want to take the place of anyone on Team RWBY. They're group meshed far too well to break up. That really just left JNPR as her only option.

'I could always join Team CRDL,' she snorted in amusement.

"Miss Regalia, are you still with me? I know these issues can be confusing, but please keep focused."

"Sorry, sir," Violet spoke to the large man on the opposite side of the table from her. He had been writing on the chalkboard as he spoke, and only turned around when he heard her. They were in her study room. It was a comfortable size, spacious enough that she could run around in it if she needed to blow off some steam, as she had done in the past to take a break from the sheer boredom of studying.

Her thoughts started to drift off again, 'Jaune would be the easiest to replace...'

"Miss Regalia, may I ask what it is that's on your mind? Perhaps I can assist so that we may sooner get back to the lesson at hand."

Not really much chance of that being the case. 'Well, professor, I'm actually a goddess trying to trade places with characters in a story and I'm having trouble deciding which to choose,' didn't sound like something that would go over well. Instead Violet thought on it a moment, and asked an unrelated question. It was still of some interest to her, at least.

"Do you believe in destiny, Professor?"

The older gentleman placed a hand on his hip, the other moving up to stroke at the light stubble on his face. His eyes drifted off momentarily before focusing again. "I wouldn't say I do. At least not in the way you may be thinking of it, young miss."

"What do you mean?" Violet's face betrayed her confusion.

"People think of fate from the stories as some grand, sweeping event that happens in their lives. The father dies, so the son must take up his sword. The step-mother's evil machinations force the princess to go on a long journey where she meets friends and foes alike. That is all ridiculous, and rarely happens in the average person's life. It is the thing of fairy tales, and should be regarded with as much academic credit," the old man paused for a breath and turned back to the chalkboard, picking up a piece of chalk and drawing a long line across the empty space.

"The only version of fate or destiny that I would give any merit, is the type that works on a smaller scale," he punctuated his words with a dot, near the left-most end of the line. "This is your life, from the beginning," he pointed at the first dot, "to the end." He punctuated his words again, making another dot near the end of the line on the right.

"Everything that happens in your life will find its way on to this line. Your first birthday," another mark, "your first words", another mark, "riding a bullhead", another mark, "and when your parents hired me to be your tutor," a final mark.

"Now tell me, what makes any of these occasions remarkable?" he asked lightly.

"None of them appear all that remarkable, Professor," Violet replied, then paused with a blush, not wanting to offend the man, "I mean, aside from you becoming my tutor!" she finished with a rush.

The professor chuckled and turned back to the board, "The day after your first birthday, your parents were flying back to Atlas. While on the bullhead (he paused to draw a line between the two), you said your first words (another connection). You were a very quiet child, waiting so long to finally speak, so your parents wished to celebrate. They went to a fancy restaurant, paid the staff a ridiculous amount of money to skip the queue, and ended up sitting near enough to my table that I could overhear them. Naturally interested in the subject of child development as I was, I introduced myself to them and helped to calm their nerves. It is not unheard of for a child to wait so long to begin speaking. It was then and there that the roots were set, and eventually (he drew the final line) when you came of age, they hired me on to be your tutor."

The dots literally connected in Violet's head as they did on the board, "So from the moment I was born, it was 'destiny' that you would be my tutor. Not by some wild happenstance, but by simple, everyday occurrences."

"Right you are, Miss Regalia," the professor turned back to the board, "If any of these had not happened, and many, many other things along the way, we would not be sitting her now as we are, talking about this issue as we are. Fate is not something you can control so easily, because there are far too many variables. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that no matter what you believe the future may bring, all it takes is the slightest change to upset what might have otherwise seemed inevitable."

Fear gripped Violet's heart with the professor's last words. Would her presence at Beacon upset too many things? Would her changing the slightest thing upset the balance, tipping the scales too far in one direction or the other, rippling outwards as more and more events became unrecognizable?

The professor chuckled lightly, bringing her back into the moment, "I see I have given you much to think about. On that note, we shall end our lesson for today. Be prepared next week for continuing with the actual lesson (he tapped the board near the things she had been supposed to be learning before). I hope you will have come to terms with our little discussion by then."

Violet thanked him profusely, but remained sitting where she was as the professor exited. The door closed quietly and she was left with nothing but her thoughts.

'Is that really how it goes? I've created so many different worlds, and I guess… Yeah, they weren't ever the same as from their story counterparts. Not unless I stayed out of it entirely. But that never really bothered me, and large scale events always seemed to remain the same regardless. Harry became the Seeker, Frodo dropped the ring in Mount Doom along with Smeagol and one or two fingers, and Obi Wan always greeted General Grievous with 'Hello there'.

Violet smiled as realization hit. If that were the case, then she wouldn't need to do something huge or dramatic to end up on team JNPR. All she had to do was remove Jaune, and the chips should fall into place. Don't mention Pyrrha's fame, avoid CRDL, and the only other option left was to become a part of the new…. VNPR? VRPN? Violet shook her head, she would let Ozpin come up with that one.

How should she do it, though? She wouldn't hurt Jaune. As useless as he was, Jaune was still good natured and wanted to help people. Well, she had another ten years to think about it. Violet's thoughts shifted to the other objective that she currently had her mind set on.

Summer had died a few weeks ago. It was time to give Patch a visit.

* * *

It was rather simple for Violet to put the suggestion into her parents heads that they take a vacation in Patch of all places.

In only a day, they were packed and boarding a bullhead for Vale. From there, they took a ferry out to Patch. The long bullhead flight from Atlas to Vale was unbearable, the boat ride much less so. Violet took her time enjoying the breeze that rippled across the water's surface, the sound of the waves lapping calmly against the side of the ship, and the cries of the birds flying high above.

She stood at the front of the ship, looking out across the water as they made their slow approach to the island. At first glance, it was heavily forested, but Violet had been here often enough in her out-of-body visits to know that wasn't the case. Much of it was, but the docks that snaked out of the woods would lead them into a small town, and from there, a handful of roads forked outwards into different parts of the island. Each road was no more than a dirt trail, but each would separate multiple times before finally winding to their respective houses. The best part about Patch, aside from the near-total lack of Grimm, was the privacy.

This fact was not lost on her parents when she had given them the suggestion. Violet's father's life was filled with constant board meetings and land disputes, legal teams fighting over who owned what, and her father was always in the thick of it. In a way, he fought for the business, not tooth and nail, but through his pen and his words, which Violet knew could be all the more frustrating.

Violet looked over her shoulder and smirked, her parents were standing a short distance away, also watching the island's approach. His father had a smile on his face, and an arm around her mother. Both looked to be enjoying themselves. Violet's brother was currently attending a private boarding school, and as such, could not attend. She didn't mind so much. It wasn't as if the two never got along, but they had very different interests.

Peri was dedicated to his studies, wanting to make their father proud, and as far as he was concerned, his sister never paid much attention to what was going on around her. 'I can't help it when I'm bored'. Violet had many siblings throughout her different lives. Some older, some younger. It rarely mattered to her, since they weren't usually the focus of the story she was recreating.

'Speaking of spacing out...'

The ship was just then pulling up into the dock, having finished the last leg of its journey. Violet stood on the deck, calmly remaining out of the way as sailors ran to and fro, tightening or tying off lines, shouting orders back and forth as they brought the ship to a safe and gentle stop. Violet headed to the gangplank ahead of her parents, eager to finally meet two of the young heroes in person, and perhaps even see 'Drunkle Qrow' in action.

Their servants gathered their bags and followed closely behind her parents, ready at a moment's notice to serve. Violet had insisted that they hire an equal number of faunus as they did humans, and paid them the same. Violet was all for showing favoritism to the characters of whatever story she was recreating, but aside from that, she despised racism. Her creations were all equal in her eyes, and deserved to be treated as such.

The breeze across the waters continued for only a short time into the treeline before it was cut off by all the vegetation. Violet followed the path, careful not to venture too far ahead of her parents in case she drew their ire. That would be left for later, and she didn't want them keeping too close of an eye on her before then.

The tree line opened up abruptly, giving a nice view of a wide clearing that the path led to. It turned into more of a proper road, if still made of dirt, by the time it reached the small town. That road led into a crossroads, situated in the center of the collection of buildings. Those three other roads that connected to the one she was currently on wound deeper into the island, branching out into many different homes along the way. Violet eyed the road she needed to travel on. She knew which way she needed to go, but would need to give her parents, and their servants, the slip.

There were any number of ways she could do so, if she was willing to dip even slightly into her godlike powers, but pushed the thought away absent-mindedly. That path led to boredom. If she was stronger than anything in the world anyway, and didn't mind abusing that fact, then what fun was there to be had? It would be like playing a game where the enemies don't even shoot back, which admittedly could be cathartic at times, but certainly not when she was in the middle of a story.

Townsfolk mingled around the shops with each other, giving greetings of goodwill and well-wishes. Violet's eyes lit up on one of the buildings. She paused long enough for her parents to catch up, and let them lead her to the inn they would be staying at. They were taken to their rooms, if only to know where they were, as the servants unpacked their things for her family. Violet was sure to thank them before heading downstairs and regrouping for lunch. Her parents made mild small talk, and as the food was eventually finished, they looked to her. "Is there anything you would like to do this evening?"

"Actually, I saw an arcade across the street from here. Do you mind if I spend some time playing games? I don't get to very often with all the studying I do," Violet said as she gave them the widest pair of eyes she could muster.

Her father chuckled and nodded to one of the servants. She was a faunus, one that particularly doted on Violet. She watched Henna's fox ears perk up as she smiled, "When would Miss like to go?"

"Right now would be great!" Violet chirped heartily and scooted her chair back, practically bouncing on her feet as she headed for the door. With a curt nod, Henna excused herself from the table as well and beat Violet to the door, holding it open for her.

"Thanks, Henna!"

Together, the two of them crossed the road to the arcade. It was a small place, all things considered, but there was a multitude of games to play. Violet set about playing them, and kept her eye out for the best way she could leave the place without Henna noticing. To Henna's credit, she kept a close eye. This wouldn't be as easy as Violet had hoped.

Violet came across a punching machine. One where you hit it as hard as you could to try and get the high score. It wasn't the machine itself that caused her to break out into a wide grin, though, it was the list of scores that scrolled down the screen. TAI stood out, right at the top in first place. Just beneath his name, there was QROW, then beneath his, YANG, and right down at the very bottom, with the most pitiful score of all, RUBY.

Violet could barely contain her laughter, as the mental image of a small Ruby being held up to flail at the punching bag refused to leave her mind. The show had never mentioned them going to any arcades, but she supposed they did have a tendency to play games on their scrolls. Where else did kids go to play games before they owned scrolls?

Violet's mirth slowly subsided, and she reminded herself of the task at hand. She turned around and noticed Henna's gaze was off to the side. Violet followed it, and saw the object of her attention. To that side, currently in use by a boy that looked not much older than Violet, was one of those groundhog pop up games with the mallet.

Except each time they popped up, Violet got a peek of a very non-threatening looking Grimm. The boy was having a tough time as the pace quickened, trying to adjust the hammer and pick up his pace. As time wound down, the Grimm popped up and then retracted faster and faster. The look of concentration on the boy's face was enough to send Violet into a fit of laughing coughs.

The boy seemed to have heard her, and turned, suddenly embarrassed at being laughed at, his concentration lost entirely. With a loud "BZZZZ" that signalled the end of the game, he turned back to it and huffed, wiping a few small drops of sweat off his face. He seemed hesitant to try again, and with Violet still nearby, seemed to decide to cut his losses and hurriedly left the arcade. Violet didn't fail to notice the slight glimmer in Henna's eyes as she looked longingly over towards the game.

"Do you want to play?"

Her simple question, quietly spoken, still elicited quite the reaction from Henna. Her cheeks brightened and she turned back to Violet, holding her hands up placatingly, "No, I couldn't possibly, Miss. This is your time to have fun!"

"Oh nonsense, Henna! I want you to enjoy yourself too!"

Henna shook her head, but Violet was not taking no for an answer. She quickly strode over to the machine and deposited the required lien before picking up the hammer. Henna had no choice but to move closer to keep an eye on her.

Violet feigned at being more inept than she actually was. Not that it was far off anyway. She hadn't done a single day of manual labor in this life, and her body certainly showed it. Violet glanced out of the corner of her eye, and each time she missed by a wide margin would elicit a motion from Henna, an attempt to try and help her. Violet's first round ended with barely any Grimm being bopped on the head, and she stepped back, wiping imaginary sweat off her brow to mimic the boy.

"Wow, Henna. This game is harder than it looks. Can you show me how to play?"

A wide array of emotions crossed Henna's face in a flash. Her ears perked up, then flattened, then wavered somewhere in between, then flattened again, before slowly raising back up, "Yes, I think I'll do just that. Watch closely, young Miss. My brother and I used to play this game a long time ago, and I'm proud to say I was always better than he was."

With a smirk, Henna stepped up in front of the game and deposited the necessary lien. She then adopted a stance, poised over the top of the game, hammer in hand, like a fox ready to leap on top of her prey at any moment.

Violet grinned despite herself, even as she slowly backed away from the faunus. Henna's attention was entirely diverted to the game in front of her, and as it started, Violet made a break for the front door. It opened with a 'whoosh', and she breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped outside. The lack of any 'little miss!' or 'where are you going!?' getting shouted out behind her was comfort enough. She didn't want to try her luck by waiting around, however, and took off across the dusty streets.

Destination, the Xiao Long cabin.

* * *

Henna breathed heavily as she stared at the brightly lit numbers on top of the game, displaying her easily achieved high score. Who did this RAVN person think he / she was? Henna would not be bested! She quickly used the select buttons to type in HENA, and stood back to give her achievement one last look, "And that, is how you play this game, little Miss."

She choked as she turned to find the young girl was nowhere to be seen. "LITTLE MISS!?" Henna cried out, turning her head frantically back and forth to try and catch a glimpse of Violet. Henna had no thought to what might happen to her for losing the young girl, only of finding her and making sure she was okay.

She quickly sprinted to the bathroom and slammed the door open, and cried out loudly, "Are you in here, little Miss!?" Silence. For good measure, she crossed the short distance to the opposite door and slammed that open as well. "Little Miss! Are you here!?"

A surprised squawk rang out through the bathroom, and a man's voice answered, "Sorry, no little miss in here, ma'am! This is the men's room!"

Henna didn't wait to hear the last part, as she was already tearing through the arcade, checking every nook and cranny. She ended up near the front door, breathing heavily, eyes darting back and forth, double, no, triple checking.

"She's not here," Henna said with a bubbling cry. She turned and ran out, scanning the streets, "It will take forever to search this place by myself!" Henna grit her teeth and ran back across the street into the inn. All the faces in the area swiveled in her direction as the doors pounded open from her impact. Her masters' numbered among them, and she wasted no time moving to them.

"Henna? Where's Violet?" the man asked, worry starting to crease the lines on his face.

"She… I don't… I don't know. We were playing games one minute, and the next she had just disappeared!" Henna said as quietly as she could manage, which is to say, everyone in the building still heard it.

Her master stood and looked around at the assembled servants that were on duty for the moment, "Go get the others, then waste no time in scouring this city. I want my daughter found, now!" He yelled the last fiercely, in such a commanding tone that even some of the regular townsfolk made for the door.

One of the other servants ran for the stairs, bounding up them three at a time to get to the servants room. Henna could hear her pounding on the door even among the milling of those that had gathered.

A scent caught her, and Henna's breath paused despite the rapid beating of her heart. She left the table, walking further into the inn itself, towards the bar. A man sat there, ignoring the commotion and drinking from the glass in front of him. His red cloak obscured most of his body as he sat on the stool.

From the looks of it, he was already several drinks deep, but that was not what had clued in Henna. She stepped up behind him, giving the man a couple feet so as not to surprise him in any way, "Excuse me… you're a huntsman, aren't you?"

The man gave a gruff and noncommittal "Hmm" before downing the rest of the glass and gesturing for a refill from the bartender.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I could tell from your scent. You can tell if you know what to distinguish it from."

"Others might have gathered as much from the weapon," the man said gruffly, reaching over and patting the compacted hunk of metal and gears next to him.

"I'm sorry to bother you-" Henna began, but the man turned towards her slightly, arm still on the counter to support himself and raised a swaying finger to his lips.

"Shh, shh, let me stop you there, kid. I promise, whatever problems you think you have, mine are worse," he turned back away from her, resting his elbows back on the counter, head nodding low as the drink the bartender had brought him sat waiting. He didn't touch it yet.

"Please, my master's daughter vanished from sight. I… got caught up in something and wasn't watching as well as I should have, and now she's out there somewhere, probably as worried as we are. Having a huntsman to help lead the search would help us so much."

"I'm sure she's fine-" the man started before Henna cut him off.

"She's only seven!" she yelled.

The man's eyes seemed to clear, his expression sobering as he turned back towards her and slipped off the stool. His right hand reached back and grabbed his weapon, as he looked at Henna with determination on his face, "Give me her description."

* * *

Violet skipped merrily down the path, knowing the exact route she needed to take to get to the Xiao Long cabin. She had visited this place far too many times at night to not recognize the landscape around her. In took her half an hour before she finally saw the cabin through the trees. It was still light out. Violet figured they would have another three hours or so of daylight before night fell upon them, plenty of time to stop in and say hello.

However, as she approached, she stopped when she noticed the front door creak open. A tiny, adorable Yang stepped out first, but Violet's breath hitched when she saw the passenger Yang pulled along behind her. Ruby was lying down in the small wagon, cloak wrapped around her and pulled tight.

As she watched, she heard Yang say down to the small figure, "Don't worry, Ruby. We'll find my mom. She'll take care of us, too. Just like Summer did." The only response Ruby gave was to roll over on to her other side, still clutching tightly to her cloak.

Violet could see where this was going. Maybe she really would get to see Qrow in action! She practically skipped over to them, incapable of holding in her excitement. Yang stopped in her tracks, finally noticing the bouncing bundle of joy headed towards her and her sister. Yang dropped the handle and stepped a little bit more between Violet and Ruby, unconsciously defending her sleeping sibling. Violet let her emotions recede a little, she didn't want to be off-putting to Yang. The girl's life was certainly in turmoil at the moment if this was her greatest plan of action.

Violet gave a small wave, "Hi, my name's Violet. My family came to Patch for vacation. Who are you?"

Yang seemed to ease a little, but not fully, not yet. "Hi, Violet. Sorry to break it to you, but I'm busy, so could you come back another time?"

"Nice to meet you, Busy!"

Yang took a moment to register what Violet had said before she cracked a small smile, "That was a good one."

"Thanks! So, whatcha up to? If you're going on an adventure, can I come with?"

Yang looked uncertainly at the sleeping Ruby, then towards the edge of the forest that she planned to venture out in to, "S-Sure!" she wavered, "One more person should be fine."

"Great, we can talk on the way!" Violet replied, now moving much closer to Yang. She pretended to see Ruby for the first time now, gasping, "Is that your sister?"

"Yeah, that's Ruby. We're going to find her another mom."

Violet's heart dropped, but she gave a hearty, "Lead the way!" before grabbing the other half of the wagon's handle. Yang gave her an appreciative nod, and together the trio set out into the woods.

It was a small trail they followed at first. They had to go slowly over the bumps to keep from waking up Ruby, but they managed. One of the back wheels popped over a rock at one point, and Violet was sure Ruby would wake up, but she merely grumbled into her cloak and shifted to press herself down against the wagon more. Some time passed in silence before Violet could work up the courage to speak.

"What was she like?" Violet asked quietly, glancing to Yang.

"Mom was the best. She was always happy, always smiling. Even if she wasn't my real mom, she still loved me," Yang replied simply, but Violet could tell she was fighting the urge to cry.

"Wow, she sounds great. I'm sorry for your loss," Violet whispered.

The trail eventually met up with another dirt road. It was little better than the trail had been, but at least here they didn't have to watch out for tree roots or big rocks, and their pace quickened somewhat.

They continued for a little over two hours, making the occasional small talk about school, or friends. Violet steered the conversation away from family for now, knowing that it would just make the girl even more sad.

The strain of pulling the cart was lessened because there were two of them, but even still after such a distance, Violet was starting to really feel the strain on her muscles and back. Her legs ached as well. This was easily the furthest she had hiked this lifetime, and it showed. Sweat slowly dripped from her forehead, and her feet dragged across the ground occasionally. She was so focused on the ground in front of her that she didn't stop when Yang did.

"Ow! Hey!" the blond rubbed the small of her back then turned back around, "We're here!" Yang said excitedly, drawing Violet's attention up to the decrepit lodge that hunkered before them.

The broken door lay open, held up by only half its hinges. The windows were broken in places, and there were cracks in some of the logs. Yang let go of the cart handle, and Violet mimicked her and dropped it as well, if only to put a hand up on Yang's shoulder to stop her from walking further in.

"Wait, look at it. This place is beat up," Violet said, drawing Yang's attention to the actual state it was in, "I don't think anyone has lived here in a long time, Yang."

"N-No. My mother is supposed to be here…"

"I'm sorry, Yang. I don't think she is…"

Yang sobbed and turned towards her, tears already streaming down her face as she threw her head into Violet's shoulder, "No! This was supposed to be it! She was going to be here, and then she'd take us all home, and she'd stay there with us! For good this time!"

Violet put a comforting hand on the back of Yang's head and stroked it down through her golden hair. Her hand stopped halfway down as a low growl rumbled through the small clearing. Violet held Yang close to her as the girl spun in shock, staring towards the lodge with dismay written across her face.

Their eyes fixated on the lodge as the door slowly swung open, pushed by some unseen force that revealed itself only moments later. Two glaring red eyes regarded them, surrounded by ebony black fur covering the rest of its body. Four paws tipped with massive claws cracked the floorboards beneath them as it pulled itself free of the lodge, its mouth locked in a snarl that dripped malice. Once it was free, it threw its head back and howled, a blood curdling sound that reverberated through the clearing.

It was not nearly as terrifying as the echoing howls that answered it. Close, but not yet in the clearing with them. They were certainly surrounded.

"What have I done? What have I done? It's all my fault!" Yang repeated to herself over and over, gaze now moving from Ruby to the beowolf in front of them.

The creature took its time, slow in its approach, keeping the girls locked in place with a growl that would put every other canine on the planet to shame.

'Alright, Qrow. Any time now, buddy. Just swoop on in here, cut this beast in half, then save us from the rest while you're at it.'

But there was no sound of flapping wings, nor angry screech of a bird falling out of the sky to transform and kill the Grimm in front of them. The beowolf continued its lazy stroll forward, believing them completely defenseless. The easiest prey of its life.

'Seriously, Qrow! I'm going to put in a complaint and get you exchanged. 'Here take mine, it's broken.'

The beowolf was now within pouncing distance. Violet watched as it lowered its body, preparing to leap..

'What the hell? This isn't how it happened!' Violet's mind raced, finally settling on the talk she had with her professor. 'Shit! I changed something! I don't know how, I don't know why, but Qrow isn't going to show up!'

"I didn't even make it to Beacon!'

The tiny scream from behind Yang and Violet made them both turn quickly. Ruby had finally awoken from her nap, and was staring death in the face. The beowolf's growl almost seemed to change into a deadly laugh, finally launching itself towards them.

Three hundred pounds of murder came hurtling in their direction. Time slowed for Violet as she watched the teeth open, tracking the trajectory. It was going to sail right over the top of them… and go for Ruby first.

'Unacceptable!'

Violet's eyes flashed. Her usual vibrant eyes turned almost neon for a moment as the path of the beowolf changed. Its body was carried much further, a dozen feet past the cart as it landed with a pained shriek and rolled roughly across the dirt trail. The beowolf staggered to its feet and bared its fangs again, dropping its body low to once again launch itself at them.

"I said NO!" Violet screamed at him aloud, shocking Yang next to her. Violet's eyes flashed once again as the beowolf's body suddenly ignited in amethyst colored flames. It gave a scream of pain as its body was suddenly immolated, the energy that kept it alive vanishing with the fire. The body gave one last pained 'HMPH' before it dropped heavily on to its side, mouth open, eyes still glaring at the prey that had somehow defeated it.

The howls of the approaching pack closed in. Violet spotted a half dozen emerge from the trees. These ones were smaller, lacking the same bone structure as the one she had already set aflame. Her eyes flashed once again as she repeated the process to all those that would dare attempt to harm them. Six guttural howls of pain were cut short as their lives were unceremoniously ended.

Yang quivered next to her, and even though Violet was shaking a little herself, she put a hand around the girl's shoulder. "Get in the cart, Yang. I'll get us out of here."

Yang shook her head and picked up the handle once again, her voice hoarse, "I have to protect my sister."

Violet patted Yang's back, and grabbed her own half of the handle again. The girls nodded together before setting back out for Yang's home.

* * *

Violet's rule about not cheating started to waver while they walked. 'I already did it once, right? What's a little more going to hurt…"

They were making slower progress on the way back, due mostly to them both being dead tired. Ruby hadn't spoken yet, she was just hiding with her head in her cloak, softly sobbing into it. Violet's legs felt like jelly, her breath came out in ragged gasps, and every inch of her felt like it was coated with sweat. She couldn't do much more than keep her eyes on the ground in front of her and keep trudging, never mind trying to console a petrified Ruby.

Yang at least seemed to have found her stride a bit more. Her sisterly instincts had kicked in, and though her face looked set with determination, Violet could tell the strain was having nearly as much of an effect on her.

"Firecracker! What happened!?" a man's voice cracked as he shouted out in their direction. Violet glanced up to see Qrow sprinting towards them, clearly panicked. Violet's body gave out and she slumped onto her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

'We made it. We're saved.'

Fear kept Yang on her feet as she stared at her uncle running towards them. She backpedaled a single step then stopped, muscles refusing to budge. Yang's tough exterior vanished in an instant as Qrow got within arms reach and brought her into the tightest hug Violet had ever seen. The man's eyes were half crazed as he took in Ruby, the wagon, and Violet. Tears that had been barely suppressed suddenly surged to the forefront, the dam that had been holding back Yang's grief washed away in the tsunami of fear, shock, and sadness that contorted her face simultaneously.

"Uncle Qrow, I'm so sorry!" Yang cried into his chest, not quite able to wrap her little arms around his torso.

"Hey, hey, its okay Firecracker. You're okay," Qrow soothed, rubbing a hand through Yang's hair and tightening his grip on her even further, "I need to check on Ruby, okay? Can you let me do that?"

Yang nodded pitifully, but didn't protest as she was lowered back down to the ground. She kept a hand firmly attached to Qrow's pant leg though, as he stepped slightly past her and put a comforting hand on Ruby's back.

"Ruby! Your uncle Qrow is here. Come on, sit up so I can see you. Nothing to fear while I'm around, eh?"

Ruby's body still racked with sobs, but she raised her head slowly. When her blurry eyes settled on Qrow's face, she weakly launched herself off the cart in a death hug. Qrow held her close and whispered into her ear, comforting her with soft words and running his hand up and down her back. After about five minutes, Ruby was once again sleeping, dried tears streaked down her face, and Violet had recovered enough to breath normally.

"Come on, let's get you three inside," Qrow began to slowly walk along the trail again, leading Yang and Violet with him. Yang didn't let go of Qrow's leg until they had stepped into the house, and no one talked along the way.

Once they had gotten inside, Qrow vanished to a back room, coming back without Ruby in hand. 'He put her to bed. Good.'

Qrow saw them both still standing there and gestured towards the couches in the living room, "Go ahead and sit, you two must be tired."

Yang silently nodded agreement and walked over to sit on one of the couches. Her feet dangled over the side, not quite long enough to reach the floor still. Violet followed her example and sat next to her, about a foot away.

Qrow gave them a final glance before he stepped into the kitchen. They could hear the sound of pots and pans rattling around, drawers being opened and closed. Honestly, it sounded like he didn't really know where anything was in there, but after a few minutes, he emerged back into the living room holding aloft two steaming cups of hot liquid.

Qrow set both cups down in front of them on the table before seating himself in a chair across from them, "Go ahead, drink up. Make sure you cool it off a bit first, though."

Yang took her cup gratefully, sitting back on the couch after she grabbed it and holding it gingerly to keep it from spilling any of the hot liquid. Violet recognized it now as cocoa. She grabbed hers as well, if a little more timidly, before settling in as she had seen Yang do.

"I called someone in town while I was in there. Your parents were worried sick looking for you," Qrow said to Violet first before turning back to Yang. His expression grew far more serious.

"Yang… what happened."

Yang put off answering the question for a moment by taking a quick sip of her cocoa. She blanched quickly, realizing it hadn't had nearly enough time to cool yet and began blowing across the top.

"Yang…"

Yang started to speak, but choked up. It was a few moments later, after another sip of cocoa to help clear her throat, that she was able to begin speaking, "I went to go find… mom."

Qrow sat back a little, his face softening as he heard the admission, "Yang, Summer is gone. She's not coming back."

"Not Summer… I mean, my mom."

"Summer was your mother, Yang."

"You know what I mean…"

Qrow sighed heavily, "And where did you go?"

With trembling hands, Yang reached into her pants pocket and withdrew the folded up picture. She shakily tossed it across the table for Qrow to pick up, "I found it in the attic. I'm sorry."

Cold fury crossed Qrow's face for a moment and was gone. He tucked the picture into his own pocket and looked back up at Yang, "That was a long time ago, Firecracker. That place is long since abandoned."

"I know…"

"You mean... you walked all the way there and back? Is that why Ruby was so broken down?" Qrow asked, the shock plainly written on his face.

"We did. Violet helped me… and that's not why Ruby was like that."

"What happened to her?" Qrow asked slowly, sending a glance towards Violet.

"The Grimm attacked us. There was just one at first, but there were more closing in, and we were too scared to move… and then Ruby woke up and saw it, and it jumped at us…"

Qrow rubbed a hand across his face and pulled out his flask, drinking deeply off it, "How'd you escape?" he finally asked.

"They… they died."

Qrow stole a glance over his shoulder, back towards the shadowed part of the house where the sleeping Ruby laid.

"Was it, I don't know, like a flash of silver?" Qrow asked tentatively.

Yang quickly shook her head and glanced at Violet, "It was… like purple fire. They just suddenly lit up."

"That what you saw?" Qrow turned to Violet finally.

'Oh shit! I didn't think of a cover story!'

"I… I don't remember what happened, really. Like Yang said, they just sort of caught fire and died," Violet eked out. 'Come on! What kind of half-ass excuse was that!?' Violet topped it off with a half-hearted shrug, her arms too tired to do much more.

Qrow seemed to just take it in stride, though, and sighed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there, Firecracker. I should have been home sooner."

'My fault!'

Violet didn't know what exactly had happened back at the town, but she was sure that this all led back to her somehow. If she wasn't there, Qrow would have been. Maybe it had all changed the instant she stepped off the docks, maybe even sooner. She tried to trace back the cause and effects that could have led inevitably to here, but she couldn't. Her puzzle wasn't complete. She was missing the necessary pieces.

There was a knock at the door that pulled Violet out of her thoughts. Qrow stood up and headed over to it, wrenching it open, "Hey... your kids in here."

Violet's parents bowled past Qrow to get into the house, their eyes searching hastily before spotting Violet sitting on the couch. Violet gingerly placed the untouched cup down on the coffee table and stood up as her parents nearly tackled her. Violet only had time to notice Yang quickly pulling her feet up on to the couch before her parents moved past. Violet's mother reached her first and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her father stood behind her, wringing his hands. It was the most nervous Violet had ever seen him.

Her mother finally pushed herself back, and Violet noticed her face was set in disapproval, "Why did you run off like that, young lady? We were worried sick. We had half the town out looking for you! You're lucky this man," she flicked a hand towards where Qrow had been standing before, not noticing he had long since returned to the chair across the table from them, "found you when he did! Explain yourself!"

Violet had never seen her mother get this emotional, about… well, anything. Ever. Her voice stammered out slightly as she replied, "I j-just wanted to see more of the island!"

"Wanted to see more of the island… Did you hear that, Mauve? She wanted to see more of the island!" Her mother's voice turned sickly sweet, mocking Violet near the end before the anger returned, "You had us all worried sick!"

"I'm sorry! It'll never happen again!" Violet cried out, trying to stop this side of her mother that she had never seen before.

"It had better not!" Her mother yelled one final time, cutting off as Mauve placed a placating hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Violet's father asked, trying to hide the tremor in his voice, but not quite managing it.

Violet could only nod dumbly. She didn't trust her voice right now.

Her father nodded back and turned Violet towards the door, "Thank you, Mister…?"

"Branwen. Qrow Branwen."

"Well, Mr. Branwen. I'll be sure to have the reward sent to you. Thank you for finding my daughter."

Qrow put a hand up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Actually, that won't be necessary. I don't need your money, I'm just glad she's okay."

"Well," Mauve held his hand out and offered it to Qrow, who shook it back, "I'll be certain to pass along what you did here to the higher-ups in Atlas. A good word, as it were. Thank you again."

Qrow chuckled something barely audible about "Jimmy" before stepping back and letting them leave.

Violet had a long, silent car ride to think things over.

'It really must have been my fault, huh?' From the sounds of it, her parents had asked Qrow to help with the search for her in town, and it had entirely diverted his attention away from the two nieces waiting for him at home. Violet shivered.

"Can we… leave Patch tomorrow morning?"

Her father shrugged his shoulders, "Honestly, I'm not really feeling up to a vacation anymore."

Violet's heart sank, but she resolved herself. 'I can't be here to mess up anything else.'

* * *

"So that's really how it happened, huh?" Qrow asked one final time before putting Yang to bed.

The girl seemed to struggle with herself, then looked up into Qrow's eyes, "I'm sure she did it, Uncle Qrow. That girl, she killed the Grimm."

"Alright, Firecracker. You just get some sleep now, okay? It'll do you some good."

Yang nodded and sank into her bed. In less than a minute, her breathing had changed to the soft, slow whispers of sleep. Qrow rose off the side of her bed where he'd been sitting and walked back into the kitchen, where he had left his scroll. He pulled up his contacts, scrolling all the way down to the only name starting with an 'O' and dialed it.

The line picked up immediately, "Qrow? This is awfully late for you to be calling me."

"I know Oz, I know. But this is important."


	4. Questions Unanswered

Ozpin stepped out of the airship onto the cold stone pavement walkway that led to Haven Academy. His cane gently tapped along with every other step, not truly needed, but a comfort nonetheless. His eyes roved over the scroll he held in his other hand, reading Qrow's report one last time before he shrunk the scroll and pocketed it. Ozpin had already memorized the words there during the first few minutes of his flight to Haven, but even still he felt the need to continuously recheck.

'I am old. Perhaps I'm going senile after 1,000 year,' Oz shook his head as he walked. He was not imagining things, and he trusted Qrow to not lie about such matters.

The grounds were empty. The semester for each of the schools had ended the week prior, which was the only reason Ozpin could even get away long enough to do this. The wind picked up and ushered him onward towards the large double doors that awaited him. With a gentle shove, the door opened inward.

Ozpin paused as he noticed a small figure sitting on a bench near the wall. Her hood was pulled up, face lit by the scroll she held. She didn't seem to notice that he had entered, too distracted by the game she played.

"Ehem", Ozpin coughed as he approached.

The girl panicked and dropped the scroll, turning fearful eyes towards him before visibly relaxing, "Don't sneak up on me like that, Headmaster!"

"I was hardly sneaking, child."

"Yeah, well. I was distracted," she said as she gingerly picked up the scroll, checking for damage.

"And it is my fault if you are too engrossed in your games to notice the world around you?"

'Ek!' the girl sputtered, "I wasn't!"

"I do have students of my own at Beacon, child." Ozpin turned his gaze to their surroundings and frowned, "Where are your guards?"

"Oh, I uh… gave them the slip," the girl replied meekly.

Ozpin sighed and gestured further down the hall. The girl took his hint and jumped to her feet, patting down her skirt before scurrying off ahead of him. Ozpin continued his leisurely stroll through the quiet building in the direction of Lionheart's office. The child stopped every so often, looking back and waiting for him to gain enough ground before running off again.

Soon, she was at Lionheart's door ahead of him, and with some small trepidation, she knocked three times. There was the muffled sound of movement, and as Ozpin reached the door, it finally opened. Leonardo clicked the door open, noticing Ozpin first, then stumbled as the girl shoved past him into the office.

"Leo, old friend, you need to get better security."

"It would seem so," Leonardo Lionheart replied, facing paling slightly as he noticed the obvious lack of guards flanking them, "They will be reprimanded."

He straightened then, and gave Ozpin a curious look, "I admit, I couldn't make much of your message. What are you here for, Oz?"

"I need to ask a question," Ozpin replied, letting his expression show how serious he was.

"Oh, of-of course," Leo stuttered and turned back towards his office, "Vernal!"

The three of them headed to the large open chamber, Leo nervously rubbing his hands together, and Vernal skipping along behind them. It was only once they had begun their descent that the child's mood changed. She stood, shuffling her feet back and forth and stealing glances at the two adults next to her.

Not for the first time did Ozpin wish someone else had been chosen as the new Spring Maiden. This child seemed outgoing enough normally, but as soon as things turned even the slightest bit serious, she clammed up. Perhaps she would grow out of it... Ozpin just hoped she would have enough time to.

The elevator stopped flush with the walkway ahead of them, leading towards an outcropping of stone. Several trees grew behind the stones, their leaves glowing a brilliant orange. It was the door, however, that held all three of their gazes. The surface was made up of several different shapes that fanned out across it, glowing the same unnatural color as the tree's leaves behind it.

With no hesitation, Ozpin strolled off the platform towards the door, prompting the others to follow along. Once he stood before it, Ozpin turned to look at Vernal, "If you would be so kind, my dear."

Vernal gave a tight nod and stepped past him, placing her hand on the door. She seemed to concentrate for a moment, then jumped back in shock as the shapes began retracting into themselves. Vernal stared open mouthed at the desert that somehow fit inside the doorway. The sand and air itself shifted unnaturally. If Ozpin had not been used to it, he might have been queasy just looking at it. Instead, however, the wizard was as calm as ever as he stepped into the desert, eyes locked on the intricate blue and gold lamp that floated above a sandstone pillar in front of him.

Ozpin gave one final look behind him, his eyes meeting with Leo's to make sure that he got the message. Leo nodded and placed a hand on Vernal's shoulder, leading her out of earshot.

"Jinn?"

Almost before the words were spoken, the hazy wave in the air ceased, and time stopped. Blue mist curled out of the lamp on each side, forming into a large blue woman that towered above him.

"Hello again, Ozma," Jinn crooned, placing a hand to her chin as she leaned down to be at more of an eye level with him.

"I've come with a question."

"Don't you always?"

"Ahem", Ozpin cleared his throat, taking a moment to sear the exact wording of his question into his mind. The words came out soft, but commanding, "What information do you have about Violet Regalia?"

Jinn's form moved away from him, back to her original position, as a coy smile played across her lips.

"Who?"

A long silence passed between the two. Ozpin stared up at Jinn in shock, and Jinn tried her best not to laugh.

"What!?" Ozpin's usually calm demeanor broke entirely.

"Is that another question?" Jinn smirked down at him, "Unfortunately, I'm not sure what it pertains to."

"Who is Violet Regalia!?"

"Who indeed?"

"What is her origin!?"

"When a man and a woman love each other very much-"

"Where was she born!?"

"Haven't you already contacted people in Atlas to inquire about that?"

"What powers does she have!?"

"The power to not ask dumb questions, for starters."

"Why did the bodies of the Grimm she killed not vanish as they usually do!?"

*Shrug*

"Aaahhh!"

Ozpin scowled up at Jinn, his face a mask of pure bewilderment at this turn of events.

"Why will you not tell me?" he demanded loudly, his hands gripped the cane tightly.

"I do not have the answers you seek, Wizard," Jinn sighed, "You have two questions remaining this century. Is there anything else you wish to ask about?"

Ozpin spun on his heel, cane swinging out and piercing down into the sand once his back was turned from the Relic of Knowledge, "No. We are done here."

An amused snicker escaped Jinn's lips as the haze returned, and the two waiting outside began moving again. Ozpin did not need to turn around to know that she had retreated into the lamp.

"It's finished," Ozpin announced roughly as he stepped out past the startled forms of both Leo and Vernal. From their perspective, it had only been a few seconds since they turned from the doorway to give him privacy. Ozpin did not slow his pace, his cane was held in a fist at his side.

"Not the answer you were hoping for?" Leo managed to get out. As they moved away, the shapes on the door began folding back outwards, sealing off the desert landscape from prying eyes.

Ozpin could only grimace as he reached the elevator and waited for the other two to step aboard.

"Worse."

* * *

The tenth year of Violet's life was hell, all because she had to open her stupid mouth on her birthday. 'Note to self - the next time mom asks what I want to do with my life, don't tell her the one thing she least wants to hear.'

Violet had told them in no uncertain terms that she planned on becoming a huntress. Her father had laughed at first, but his mirth died in his throat when he realized Violet was serious. He had pleaded, placated, and begged for her to change her mind, all the while Violet had remained resolute.

Violet's mother had then stepped in, and in the most sickly sweet voice she had ever heard her mother use, announced, "Of course you can become a huntress, sweetheart~"

The next day Violet had been awoken at 5am and taken into the new gym her mother had renovated into the house itself. Awaiting her had been three personal trainers, each with a grim scowl on their faces. The first trainer had her run until she dropped. The second had her lifting weights until her arms refused to move anymore, and the last had demanded she do it all over again.

Violet had lasted a little over half an hour before she had to stop and lie down on a mat, her weak body refusing to take any more self-inflicted punishment. Her mother had chosen then to step inside, "What's wrong, sweetheart? Don't you want to be a huntress~"

Violet was proud of herself for still being able to say yes. She was still required to attend the lectures from her private tutors afterwards, in which she had barely been able to pay attention.

The next day had been much of the same. Sprints, weights, jumping jacks, back to sprints, and on and on until she collapsed. Her mother had stayed to watch for longer this time, and simply asked, "Ready to give up?"

It continued that way for a month straight. Each day, Violet was able to run faster, lift more, and endure longer. She was tempted to cheat. To wash away her own fatigue, to make herself stronger and faster than she would be naturally, but doing that would be just as bad as admitting defeat; if not to her mother, than to herself. So she persevered.

By the end of the month, Violet's mother was present during the entire two hour session, a silent observer.

As Violet lay panting on the ground, spread out completely to try and let her body vent some of the heat it had built up during the exercise, her mother approached.

"Do you still want to be a huntress?"

Violet's breath caught at the words. There was no hint of the disapproval that had been there before. No dissatisfaction. Just a simple question. Violet turned to regard her mother, still breathing heavily, and with one nod of her head, signalled her confirmation.

"Okay."

Violet was still lying on the floor in confusion when her mother walked past to the personal trainers, "From now on, she shall be trained properly."

"Yes, ma'am," three voices replied somewhat in unison.

The next day, she didn't do sprints. She didn't lift weights. Instead, the first trainer taught her the best way to work each of her muscles, the second showed her the best meals to eat to promote muscle growth, and the third began showing her how to use various weapons.

The last part came more easily to her. Violet's techniques themselves were born of countless lives spent adventuring. He remarked on her being a natural, 'If only he knew'. They continued their sessions, however. While Violet had the mind for it, her new body did not share reflexes with those past lives. She had to build her muscle memory up anew, and with her trainer's assistance, she made rapid progress.

That same day, they had unlocked her aura.

With her aura unlocked, the pains of exercise that previously would have crippled her for the remainder of the day were instead washed away within half an hour. The healing properties of aura extended to torn muscle fibers, apparently. After learning the proper techniques, she was able to work much harder, for much longer than she would have only a day prior. Violet's trainers took her accelerated fitness in strides, more than aware that she could take more punishment now than she had before.

After a few months, she started sparring with them. They changed weapons daily, keeping her on her toes. Violet struggled still, at first. A new body that was so small could not wield the weapons the same way an adult body would. In some cases, she was given weapons that she hadn't used in many life times, and it took a long time to work out the kinks with those.

They had her meditate at various intervals during their sessions, both to relax and let her aura recover, and to think about her semblance. Of course, they thought these little meditation sessions would help her 'discover' what her semblance would be, but Violet instead used them to ask herself what she wanted. She could give herself anything, unlike regular people, and she refused to have a useless semblance.

The eternal struggle of strength versus fun raged in her mind during these 'meditation' sessions. She didn't want a semblance that would just win fights for her. It needed to require skill, and still be effective. Versatile, but not all powerful. She thought about the issue for weeks, until her trainers finally decided it was time for her to choose a weapon that she would train with primarily.

They arranged a basic version of every kind of weapon along a rack in front of Violet. Daggers, staffs, swords, clubs, scythes, maces, axes... You name it, they had it. Her eyes roamed over them slowly, trying to account for the various advantages and disadvantages that came with each. Violet's eyes finally settled on one, and an idea sparked in her mind. A wide grin appeared on her face.

'Why not kill two birds with one stone?'

She heard one of the trainers choke as she pulled her choice off the rack.

* * *

After that day, another tutor was hired. A man that had spent his life working in the Science Division of the military, but had retired a few years ago. Their lessons started with the basics, and Violet was able to follow along well enough. She had spent a number of life times in sci-fi universes, after all. They hadn't been her favorites, but she'd learned a thing or two there.

The real complications came about when aura and dust were involved. The first hurdle, using her aura to change a weapon from one form to another. Violet's tutor gave her a very simplistic design to start with, a dagger that could shift into a pistol.

Stretching her aura out into an object had felt strange at first. Unnatural. It took her an entire month before she could reliably change forms when told to, another month before she could do it without having to concentrate on it.

From there they had built her knowledge base, working from one function to another, and getting more and more in-depth about dust integration. They didn't rush to build her weapon. According to her tutor, using a weapon's system in the field that you weren't intimately familiar with led to missing limbs or death, and he had the coroners' reports to prove it.

Violet was fifteen before she decided once and for all what she wanted to incorporate into her weapon. It took a year and a half of long nights spent poring over blueprints and schematics, designs, redesigns, concept pieces, and massive overhauls before she was finally done.

Violet and her tutor shook hands in mutual congratulations at the masterpiece that lay on the work bench next to them.

* * *

"Violet, I have an important business meeting in a few minutes. Could you please hold off on any test fires until later this afternoon?" her father asked her, poking his head into her training room.

Violet stopped to grab a towel and wiped the sweat from her face before replying, "Of course, father. Pepper was going to pick me up at 2 o'clock, anyway. We're headed back out to the fringes again until later tonight."

As always, her father's face revealed his concern, but he shook his head and left. Unlike Violet's mother, he had still never quite come to terms with his only daughter wanting to be a huntress. He respected her decision, but it did not stop him from worrying.

'I wish I could soothe your fears, father. Nothing bad will happen to me, I promise."

After he left, Violet returned to her training. She had long since mastered how to use it in conjunction with her semblance. Violet had chosen something that required skill, but was still potent and versatile like she'd wanted. It was also the only reason she could use the weapon she'd chosen in the first place.

'Even Yatsuhashi would have trouble hefting this thing around."

Violet smirked at the thought.

Violet continued working through the sword form routine that her tutor had helped her develop. It was one born of necessity and practicality. The greatsword she held had a foot long leather hilt, giving her the leverage she required. The gold colored crossguard was fashioned to look like a crown of sorts, the edges that wrapped around it keeping attacks from sliding up her blade into her hands. Past that, fourty pounds of four foot long steel, sharpened on both sides and ending in a tapered point, awaited anyone, or anything, stupid enough to get within reach.

Violet endured the strain for another ten minutes before she needed to stop and catch her breath. She set her weapon down on a nearby table and grabbed the towel off it again. Violet's hands froze as she spotted the person leaning against the doorway that her father had previously vacated.

'Weiss!?'

The girl realized she had been noticed, along with the shock on Violet's face and raised her hands from where they had been crossed under her breasts, lowering them down slowly over and over in an attempt to calm Violet down.

"Sorry! I'm just waiting for my father to finish his meeting, I didn't mean to spy on you," Weiss stepped into the room as she spoke, giving Violet an apologetic smile.

Violet became aware of the fact that she was still standing and staring, and shook herself back into motion. She toweled herself off and dropped it back on the table before turning back to Weiss, "No problem, you just caught me by surprise. My name is Violet." Violet held out her hand to shake Weiss's own and the girl gladly accepted.

"Weiss Schnee," she said matter of factly before letting her eyes roam around the training room. They settled on Violet's greatsword, "You weapon is massive. How in the world do you manage to swing it so freely?"

Violet grinned and picked the sword back up, holding it out in one hand towards Weiss. The girl frowned, but begrudgingly held her hand out to grab it. Weiss's eyebrows shot up as she raised the greatsword with ease in front of her, taking a few downward swings away from Violet.

"Umm, how?"

"Semblance," Violet said with a grin, "I can manipulate the mass of things within a small distance from myself."

Weiss's face twisted in thought, "Won't that have the same effect as just using a smaller sword, though?"

"Hold it out further," Violet instructed and waited for Weiss to comply. She did, using her left arm to point the tip out to her side, a full arm's length away. Violet dropped the affect of her semblance for only a moment, like flicking a light switch off and then back on again, but in that instant the tip dipped dramatically. Violet laughed at the surprised 'ah!' that escaped Weiss's lips.

"I reduce its mass while I swing it, but before it hits I return the mass back to it, effectively retaining my speed while giving me the impact power of someone much stronger than me," Violet explained.

"It isn't just objects that I can manipulate, though," Violet took her weapon back and set it on the table again before regarding Weiss, "Want to try?"

Weiss's face showed some hesitation, but she nodded her head all the same. Violet concentrated, then felt her semblance take effect. Weiss looked around herself in alarm before looking down at her arms. She slowly raised them up and down, feeling how they were now nearly weightless. Weiss bounced up and down on her feet, "This feels incredible!"

Violet nodded, "It helps me move faster and jump higher." 'Its also the most important part to my landing strategy. I don't want to end up a puddle in the Emerald Forest if I can't get Pyrrha to like me."

Violet released her semblance and staggered as it went. She was starting to get tired.

Weiss's eyes flashed concern as she raised a hand up to steady Violet, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Too much weight for too long starts to wear me out, that's all."

Weiss made a 'hmph!' sound and turned her head away slightly, "I-I don't weigh that much!"

Violet laughed when she realized what Weiss must have thought she was implying, then gestured back towards her weapon, "No, no, I'm still just beat from training."

Cheeks light pink, Weiss turned back to her.

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by a cough..

"My meeting is finished, Weiss. It's time we left," Jacques commanded, standing in the doorway behind her. Weiss's face soured, then returned to a more regal expression befitting an heiress as she turned around.

"Yes, father."

Weiss gave her one final smile before the two of them left.

* * *

"Another glass, Miss Regalia?" the servant asked, stepping up next to her table with tray in hand.

"Henna, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Violet?" she replied, exasperated.

"At least one more time, like always. Now, about that glass?"

"No, thank you. I've had enough for the night," Violet sighed.

Henna grinned and stepped back, "As you wish, little Miss."

Henna retreated before Violet could come up with a reply. She hadn't been called that in years, but the thought did bring a smile to her face.

Violet sat at a table alone, off to the side from where the rest of the party-goers were mingling. She wasn't socially awkward or inept, and she was certainly not an introvert. Violet's problem with the festivities was renewed every time she listened in to the various conversations around her. Simply put, they were boring. Talks of business deals there, a friendly chat between two ladies recommending hairdressers to each other there. 'And seriously, who cares about your nails?'

The function itself had been a celebration of her father's twentieth year managing the company, but the actual event had long since ended. Unfortunately, Violet need to at least partially keep up appearances as the daughter of a man running a multi-million lien a year business.

Violet couldn't help grinning in anticipation despite herself, though. It was finally time to send in her transcripts to Beacon. She had filled them out the night before, but admission didn't begin until tomorrow.

"May I sit here?"

Violet turned with a smile to nod at the man that had spoken, but the smile died on her face before she could catch it. It returned immediately, but she knew the man was perceptive enough to have caught her reaction.

"Yes, of course!" she managed to say without stuttering. She had kept up her yearly visits to Jinn, and knew that Ozpin had specifically asked about her ten years ago.

'Damnit Qrow!'

"Thank you," Ozpin scraped the chair back before sitting down in it around five feet from her, "This is a nice party, isn't it?"

"It really is," she replied before continuing, "Sorry, I didn't catch your name? I'm Mr. Regalia's daughter, Violet."

"Professor Ozpin, Headmaster at Beacon Academy," Ozpin's eyes regarded Violet intently over the fingers that he had steepled in front of himself.

Violet let her eyes widen in mock surprise, "I thought I recognized you from somewhere."

"Indeed. I heard from a student of mine that you were thinking of becoming a huntress?"

"A student?..."

"My apologies. It has been quite some time since then. He is one of your instructors now, a pro huntsman that goes by the name of Pepper?"

'He's been keeping tabs on me.' Violet realized with a tiny shudder, "Oh! Yes, he is one of my favorite teachers."

"Glad to hear it," Ozpin smiled, "Have you decided what school you want to go to?"

Violet smiled and nodded, not really having to lie, "Actually, I was going to submit my transcripts to Beacon tomorrow morning."

Ozpin paused. The widening of his eyes would have been near imperceptible if Violet had not been looking for it, "That is a nice surprise. If you've been following Pepper's teachings then I have no doubt you'll pass with flying colors!"

'Of course I'll pass. You want me at Beacon to keep an eye on me.'

Violet smiled and accepted his words nonetheless, "If you will excuse me, Professor. It is getting late, and I have bags to pack."

"That confident? Good! It will be a pleasure to have you at my Academy, Miss Regalia."

"The pleasure is all mine," Violet beamed as she stood to leave.

"One thing before you go. I have been pondering a question for quite a while, and wondered if perhaps you might have some insight?" Ozpin tapered off the statement to make it sound like a question, and Violet shrugged in assent.

"How does one kill a Grimm in such a way that its body does not vanish?"

Violet did not fail to notice Ozpin's eyes become more intense as he asked, but the question only drew a confused expression from her, "Dead Grimm always vanish, Professor."

"Indeed," Ozpin replied, the barest hint of dissatisfaction curving his lips downward, "Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing you at Beacon."

Violet took that as her cue to finally leave.

She really did have bags to pack, but before that, she had someone else's transcripts to sabotage.

* * *

Violet floated above the ground in her ghostly, incorporeal state she adopted while asleep. She was in Vale, keeping an eye on her intended target. Ahead of her by twenty or so feet, Jaune kept to the sidewalk, nervously gripping his fake transcripts as if they might blow away in the wind.

'It's not the wind you need to worry about, Jaune.'

Crocea Mors was strapped to his hip and he was keeping his head down, as if he expected his father to come running down the street, demanding Jaune to stop his foolishness and come home.

It was still night here, as it was in Atlas. While she couldn't feel it, Violet could see the effects of the wind blowing down the silent streets. Jaune looked as if he had been travelling the entire day to make it to Vale on time, his breath rasped out with each painful step, threatening to eat away at Violet's resolve.

'It isn't my fault you didn't train before coming to Beacon, Jaune. You can't protect the others from what's to come. I can.'

It seemed as if Jaune had finally found what he'd been searching for. With a burst of exhilaration, he jogged the last thirty feet to his goal, Violet silently floating along behind. Jaune pulled the handle down on the mailbox, slotting his transcript in and, with only a slight quiver, dropped it inside.

Jaune spun on the spot and leaned back against the mailbox, letting his exhaustion get to him. His body slumped, and he kept his eyes down to the pavement as he spoke, "Please, God, let me get into Beacon." He sighed deeply and slowly left, hands dipping into his pockets, putting his fate in the hands of some unseen force that might help him achieve his dreams.

Violet wouldn't. 'Couldn't.' She'd destroyed his transcripts the instant they left his sight.


	5. Landing Strategy

The ground grew distant from the windows of the ship carrying the students to Beacon. Violet rested her head against her hand, elbow propped up by the window itself. ' _I'm finally here._ " After years of training, boring tutors, and long nights spent waiting for this moment… She was honestly having difficulty putting herself into action. Violet could see both Ruby and Yang off a ways, Yang excitedly talking about being proud of Ruby, and Ruby talking about wanting normal knees... but she just couldn't bring herself to walk over to them. An odd sort of anxiety had gripped her heart. ' _What if I mess up?_ ' was the thought that kept running through her mind. A loop with no end in sight.

Violet pulled herself out of her negative thoughts. She'd done this many times before, in other worlds. Failing to share a room on the train with Harry, being the last to speak up to join Frodo and the others get the ring to Mt. Doom…

Violet spent so long trying to psyche herself up that she had only just started to walk towards the two when the ship lurched to a stop and opened its doors on to the platform to Beacon. The cluster of students nearby cut her off from her quarry. She almost lost them in the crowd, but Yang at least was tall enough, ' _and bright enough_ ', to keep an eye on. The students surged out on to the platform. Violet followed, and as they reached the outside, they began to disperse, giving her enough room to push through and catch the tail end of the sisters' conversation.

" _Well, actually-my-friends-are-here-now-gotta-go-catch-up-bye!_ " Yang spout off rapidly before running off with her friends. Violet didn't recognize any of them. They must not have made it through initiation.

And there was Weiss, butler pushing her bag rack straight towards an unknowing Ruby who was about to fall onto it and start a chain reaction of bickering that would carry on well past initiation. Seeing the telltale signs of what was about to happen, Violet stepped forward at a brisk pace, weaving between other students and then past the butler himself. She threw her hand out and caught Ruby, right before she could topple backwards into the dust-laden cart.

"Oh! Sorry!" Ruby exclaimed, freeing herself from Violet's arms. Ruby brushed imaginary dust off her skirt and grinned uncertainly at Violet. The butler muttered as he swerved around them, but without the commotion it seemed Weiss was still absorbed in something on her scroll, and didn't notice what had almost happened.

"No problem. You were looking a little woozy there and I didn't want you to hurt yourself," Violet replied with a good-natured smile. She held out her hand, open palmed, and Ruby took the hint, extending her own. They shook energetically, and as they did, Ruby's eyes drifted over Violet's shoulder to the handle poking out.

"Ooooooh~, is that your weapon?" Ruby asked pointedly, eyes growing wide. ' _Figures that's how she'd start off a conversation. Didn't even ask my name first...That's okay, I'll bite._ '

"It is!" Violet gave a mild chuckle at Ruby's expression. She reached up with her right hand and grabbed the hilt before flexing some of her aura into it. The mechanism holding it in place detached, allowing her to lift it off easily and draw it between the two of them.

"Oh. My. God! That looks like it could _obliterate_ Grimm with one swing! How do you hold up all that weight so easily!?" Ruby's hands twitched at her sides, her weapon fixation threatening to take over reason. Violet figured it was easier to show her like she had done with Weiss than to explain, and held it out to her. When Ruby backed off a little, uncertain, Violet grabbed one of her hands by the wrist and brought it up to hold the hilt before letting go of her own hold.

Ruby's body reflexively dipped, expecting some massive weight to come crashing down on her, but her face conveyed the confusion she must have been feeling. Ruby backed away half a dozen feet and swung the sword in a wide arc, earning a startled ' _Hey!_ ' from some other student which they both soundly ignored.

Ruby returned the greatsword to Violet, seemingly lost for words before she was torn out of her stupor when Violet teased, "I showed you mine, now show me yours."

With a grin, and a deft series of spins and twirls that Violet could never hope to imitate, Ruby changed the form of her weapon from compact mode to full scythe and slammed the tip into the ground.

"...Oh, so it's a hoe?" Violet smirked, eyeing the crater it had left in the pavement.

Ruby looked down and her face went red, "N-no, it's a scythe!" she exclaimed, ripping her weapon back out of the ground. Pieces of pavement scattered off it around the hole, "It's also a customizable, high-impact, sniper rifle."

"Impressive," Violet replied honestly. Seeing Ruby's scythe in-person for the first time was both amazing, and somewhat intimidating. Ruby's weapon wouldn't have looked out of place in the hands of a villain, with its huge gleaming blade that promised to cut down anyone that was unfortunate enough to draw the ire of the small girl in front of her.

"Does it have a name?"

"Crescent Rose! My baby and me are gonna become huntresses and travel the world together, saving people and protecting towns, just like the heroes in the books!" Ruby exclaimed, "What about yours?"

"Zenith," Violet reciprocated, giving her greatsword a small twirl before reconnecting it to her back.

"What does that mean?" Ruby tilted her head as she asked, unfamiliar with the word. They started to walk towards the main building as they continued to talk. Violet led the two of them, knowing Ruby had no clue where they were supposed to go. ' _It's a straight shot, how can you miss it?_ '

"The highest point." At Ruby's look of confusion, Violet explained further, "In a way, it's like saying, ' _This is the best it gets_ '."

Ruby nodded, appearing to understand.

"Anyway, we haven't properly introduced ourselves, yet. I'm Violet."

"Oh, right! Ruby Rose!" Ruby said boisterously, practically bouncing on her toes as they walked. The large open doors of the auditorium drew nearer as they walked, "So, where are you from?"

"Atlas. You?"

"Patch! It's a small island community off the coast. I went to school at Signal Academy! Where did you go to school?"

"I didn't. My parents paid for personal trainers and tutors to teach me everything they could before letting me leave to follow my dreams," Violet wasn't expecting the wide eyes that Ruby gave her, but shrugged it off, "They wanted their little girl prepared to fight the Grimm."

' _If only Grimm were the only thing we'd be fighting._ '

Ruby's look grew somber, and Violet realized she had probably reminded her of Summer. Thankfully, Violet didn't have to think up a distraction as they finally reached the auditorium. Ruby's eyes shot up at the crowd, quickly glancing around for a hint of yellow hair. Spotting the top of Yang's head, Ruby grabbed Violet's hand and led her that way. The two of them reached Yang right as she was excusing herself from her friends.

Yang turned her head around and noticed Ruby behind her, "Oh there you are, sis! I was starting to worry you'd gotten lost on your first day."

"You wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't ditched me!" Ruby seethed. ' _Adorable._ '

"And look at that, my baby sister making friends already!" Yang mockingly gasped, glancing down at where Ruby's hand still gripped Violet's tightly.

Ruby instantly pulled her hand away as her cheeks turned red, "Yeah, so what if I did? This is Violet. Violet, this is my monster of a big sister, Yang."

Recognition sparked in Yang's eyes, and Violet took the chance to adopt a thoughtful frown as well, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Violet asked, screwing her face up into as close of an approximation of confusion as she could manage.

"You're that girl from ten years ago!" Yang proclaimed loudly, shocking a few bystanders and drawing attention to their little group.

Violet had never had a good poker face, but she prayed ' _to myself_ ' that she was pulling off a surprised expression, "Oh! Then that means you're-!" Violet cut herself off, now pointing towards Ruby, "You've definitely grown from the last time I saw you. Did your uncle ever go back for that wagon?"

Ruby looked as confused as ever. No doubt because she had been only four or five at the time. Violet doubted she could have remembered anything more than the Grimm they'd seen.

"Who cares about the wagon!? I never got to thank you~!" Yang forcefully drew Violet into a tight hug that wheezed the air from her lungs, causing her to make a very startled ' _hrk!_ ' sound.

"Yang! Don't leave me in the dark like this! How do you know each other!?" Ruby demanded with a pout off to the side.

Yang let go, letting Violet inhale raggedly and cough, recovering for the moment, "She's the one that saved us, Ruby. You remember that time when I took you out on the wagon to go find that cabin?"

Violet had to step in before this got too out of hand, "Hold on. Those Grimm died on their own, I didn't have anything to do with it."

Yang scoffed and rolled her eyes, "They burst into purple flames when your _eyes_ lit up! You can't tell me that was some huge coincidence. Grimm don't just spontaneously combust."

' _Her eyes had…? I must not have noticed at the time. I was too focused on saving us._ _Is that why Ozpin was so interested in her? He thought there was some other eye power showing up that could help in his endless struggle against Salem?_ '

"I'll have to take your word for it. I don't really remember _doing_ anything except stare at them. You were staring at them too. How do we know _you_ didn't set them on fire?"

Yang's eyes peered into Violet's very soul as she spoke her next words with dire seriousness, " _Purple_. _Flames_."

"Your eyes are purple," Violet retorted.

"My eyes are lavender. And I _know_ it wasn't me," Yang said heatedly.

Violet was saved from thinking her way out of the conversation as the sound of a microphone being tapped deafened the room.

' _Or not._ '

Yang kept her eyes on Violet in a " _We aren't done talking about this_ " way before turning towards the stage with the rest of the gathered students.

Ozpin had taken the stage.

"Ahem. I'll… keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose; direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you, to take the first step."

' _Wow. He sounds like he's still bent out of shape because Jinn wouldn't talk about me._ '

After Ozpin had said his piece and stepped away, Glynda took his place and began instructing the assembled students on where to store their weapons and where they would be sleeping for the night. Violet took the opportunity to veer away from Yang, making sure she was the first into the locker room and lost among the crowd. ' _Hopefully she'll forget about it. Ah, who am I kidding. She won't stop asking until I give her something._ ' This time away at least gave her a chance to clear her head and think of an excuse. ' _Yeah… I've got nothing. I'll just have to keep pretending I don't know what she's talking about. If I reveal anything, it might get back to Qrow, and that's a direct line to Ozpin… I can't take that chance._ '

Violet chose a locker at random, which prompted her to set a new key code. She stowed Zenith and her bags, and mentally prepared herself for the verbal battle that would certainly take place in the future.

* * *

Violet had managed to hide herself away from the two girls for the rest of the day, using what skills she had to vanish among the throng of students that milled around for the rest of the evening, chatting in groups of four or more. She had made it all the way to nightfall, changed into her pajamas, and used her sleeping bag to obscure herself from view. Violet's eyes roamed over the ballroom they would be sleeping in. She caught a quick peep of Yang and Ruby, both girls chatting while apparently keeping an eye out for her.

' _Where to sleep, where to sleep?_ '

Violet's eyes finally settled on a small alcove, near what looked like a wardrobe. It looked like as good a place as any to bed down away from the majority of people. Her feet were already carrying her in that direction before she noticed candles being lit right next to her intended spot. Violet's eyes whipped over to the side, and there, previously hidden in the shadow of the wardrobe, sat Blake. Her knees were pulled up, allowing her to rest a book on them. The candle's light was certainly only there as a way to keep her cover as a faunus, more than being actually necessary. Blake's eyes would have been able to read it just fine with her faunus nightvision.

Violet's awkward shuffling in Blake's direction drew a wary eye, but when it became clear that Violet wasn't there to disturb her outright, she went back to reading her book. It was the way that she had to lower herself to the ground slowly to keep herself out of sight that got Blake's attention again. Violet unzipped her sleeping bag, still in a half-crouch, then immediately dove in. Her legs were backed into the alcove, with just a small part of her head sticking out of the top. She doubted Yang or Ruby would be able to spot the half of her head that stuck out, especially now that she was down at ground level.

Violet noticed the tilt of Blake's head, eyes still focused in her direction, "Don't mind me, just hiding away from an awkward conversation with a certain goldilocks that's been asking too many questions."

Blake's eyes left hers and gazed over the room before locking on to something, "You mean the one that hasn't stopped looking around since we got here?"

"That's the one," Violet replied with a half smile. ' _Such an observant little White Fang defector, eh Blake?_ '

"Do you know her?" Blake asked, surprising Violet with the continued conversation. ' _I would have thought you'd go back to your book by now._ ' The reason dawned on her a half second later. ' _She's probably worried about Yang asking_ _ **her**_ _too many questions._ '

"Kind of. We met a long time ago and I haven't seen her since. I made friends with her sister when we landed, and she recognized me from way back then," Violet gave up as much information as she needed to about the situation. It wouldn't do for Blake to avoid Yang during initiation. ' _Team RWBY needs to stick together!_ '

"Yang is a really nice person when you get to know her. She's strong, too. Really strong," Violet continued, trying to lead Blake on. ' _You want her to be your partner tomorrow~_ '

"I'm Violet, by the way. Nice to meet you…?"

"Blake."

"Nice to meet you, Blake. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to try and get some sleep before tomorrow. Enjoy your book!" Violet rolled over and pulled herself deeper into the sleeping bag. There was a quiet " _Goodnight_ " from behind that surprised her, but she chose to ignore it. ' _Stand strong, Team RWBY!_ '

* * *

Unfortunately, Violet couldn't keep up the act the following morning. She was busy ' _sleeping_ ' in her normal way, watching over her family back in Atlas with some melancholy, when she felt her body get violently kicked. She was sucked away, halfway across the world in an instant and sat up in confusion. Violet blinked back blurry eyes and looked up at the figure standing above her.

The first thing Violet could see was Yang's golden hair, lit from the sun's rays beaming through the windows behind her, "Let's go. Breakfast. And then I have questions."

Violet groaned and flipped over, pretending to still be tired, "Just five more minutes!"

"How about five more kicks?" Yang threatened. Violet _felt_ her foot drawing back to make good on her promise and quickly ripped the sleeping bag off herself, "Okay, I'm up! I'm up!"

"That's better. Ruby is already in the dining hall. Let's go get you changed," Yang reached down and grabbed Violet by the back of her pajamas, hauling her up on to her feet.

"I can stand up on my own, ya know?" Violet said, not really angry, just irked that her plans had fallen apart so early in the morning.

"If I let go, you'll run off again," Yang smiled matter-of-factly, giving Violet a small push as she said it. Looking around, it was obvious why Yang had been able to find her so easily. Violet had ' _slept_ ' in longer than anyone else, too caught up in Atlas to notice the time here in Beacon.

Yang let go of her when they reached the locker room, but stood with arms crossed as Violet changed into her regular outfit. Yang finally noticed Violet's weapon for the first time, and when she turned around it was to see a large smirk across Yang's face.

"Compensating for something?"

"Rich, coming from a girl that fists everyone," Violet retorted with a smile of her own.

"Hey! Phrasing! I _punch_ people!"

"Right, right. Fist, punch, grope. You do you, sister," Violet laughed.

Yang seemed ready to punch her if her eyes going red were any indication, but Violet stepped past before turning back to her, "The dining hall?"

Yang's hands trembled as she shut her eyes and forcibly simmered down. She stepped forward and shot a hand out towards Violet, who flinched, only for Yang to grab on to the back of her top again.

Violet smirked, "See? Groping."

Violet was glad Blake wasn't there to hear Yang's outraged scream. The poor girl would have gone deaf in both sets of ears.

Despite herself, Violet managed to keep Yang distracted with more jabs and snarky comments all through breakfast. There was a mood Violet could keep her in that was _just right_ to keep her distracted, but not have it end with a punch to the face.

Glynda's voice boomed over the school's intercom, informing the students that they should gather their weapons and be ready for further instruction. A general sense of unease settled over the student population around them. Most of them looked nervously amongst each other, knowing that only a small portion of them would actually succeed, passing the initiation test to become full-fledged students of Beacon. Even Yang was rendered silent as she started to focus up on her goal, which Violet took advantage of to immediately break away again.

* * *

Violet was typing the number she had chosen into her locker's keypad when a familiar voice announced it's presence, "Oh, it's you! I didn't know you were going to Beacon!"

Violet recognized the voice and peeked her head back around her open locker door, "Weiss! I could say the same! Did you retire from your singing career?" Violet feigned mock surprise.

What was surprising was that she'd somehow managed to choose the locker side-by-side with Weiss's own. Violet gave Weiss a glance. Everything was as it should be, combat skirt, ponytail, and Myrtenaster clipped to Weiss's hip like she'd been born to use it. A flash of red and gold behind her caused Violet to flick her eyes in the direction for a brief instant. ' _Right on time, Pyrrha._ '

"For the foreseeable future, at least. I've decided to dedicate my life to helping others. I want… _to improve my family name_ ," she said the last bit much more quietly, seeming to trust Violet enough to share the tidbit but not wanting it to be overheard.

Violet nodded in understanding and stepped forward, towards both Weiss and Pyrrha. She made sure to project her voice a little bit louder than was necessary if she'd only been speaking so that Weiss could hear, "I can't say my goal is all that grandiose. I've just been lonely at home. I was hoping to… _make some friends_." Violet whispered out that last bit the same way Weiss had, but she could tell Pyrrha had picked up on it. Brilliant green eyes turned in their direction.

Weiss sighed and spoke candidly, believing themselves away from prying ears, "Friends would be nice, too."

There was a truthfulness to it that spoke volumes. An honest desire, one born of lonely days spent all alone in her mansion, only servants, admiring fans, business partners, or _Whitley_ , to keep her company for months on end. Violet shuddered when she saw Pyrrha's smile grow genuine, her gaze taking in nothing but the young heiress that was none the wiser to the two beautiful green eyes burning a hole in her back. ' _Damn it, Weiss. You're supposed to be helping me! Not making Pyrrha go after you! Team RWBY must live!_ '

" _Would all first your students please report to Beacon cliff for initiation. Again, all first year students report to Beacon cliff, immediately._ " Glynda's voice once again rang out through the school's intercoms. Pyrrha left before Violet could get another word in. Violet's shoulders slumped.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure you'll do fine," Weiss smiled and put a hand on Violet's shoulder.

'... _RWBYYYYY!_ '

* * *

The students had all positioned themselves on the launch pads as instructed, while Glynda and Ozpin stood closer to the cliff, looking over them. Yang had taken up the pad directly to Violet's left, and given her a glower when she arrived. ' _Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do._ '

"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest," Ozpin began the small lecture, getting the student's attention fully devoted to the two adults before them.

"Now. I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda continued where Ozpin had left off, "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… today."

" _What? Oohhh…_ " Ruby simpered a little way down the line.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon, so it is in your best interest to be paired to someone with whom you can work well. "

" _Ohhhh…_ "

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

" _Whaaat!?_ "

Violet couldn't help but laugh. It was so much better in person.

Ozpin continued his explanation, but Violet ignored it. She knew the rules. Instead, her focus drifted across the line of waiting students, towards Pyrrha. Violet sighed. Pyrrha was stealing glances at Weiss. ` _My plans are ruined. Foiled before they'd even started._ '

Ozpin finished his speech, and the furthest student to Violet's left was launched skyward. It repeated, over and over. Pyrrha, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Cardin, Ruby, then Yang.

Violet braced herself, using her semblance on her own body to try and let the pad send her even further than it would normally, "See you on the other side, Professors."

The tiniest of smiles stretched one corner of Ozpin's lips, as Violet was launched into empty air. Nothing but trees and hard packed earth beneath her a hundred feet below.

Immediately, Violet dropped her semblance from her body. Letting the launch pad send her off with the least amount of resistance was good, but if she kept it up, it would be like throwing a feather into gale force winds. Completely ineffectual. Instead, Violet soared through the sky, outstripping many of the other students. The only one that kept ahead of her was Yang, who was using her Ember Celicas to increase her speed before she disappeared into the trees. Violet watched Pyrrha land, pull out Miló, and scope in on Weiss.

' _Oh no you don't!_ '

Violet tracked where Weiss landed as well. The girl used her glyphs masterfully, landing in an empty clearing to avoid the trees. As it was, Violet was going to overshoot the two of them by a hundred feet or so. ' _Time to act like a feather_.' Violet felt her semblance's influence wash over her, reducing her forward momentum almost instantly due to the wind resistance against her entire body. Violet looked down and, happy that there were no Grimm in sight directly beneath her, allowed herself to drop, kicking in her semblance at the last moment to ease herself to the ground.

She turned back towards where she needed to go. If Pyrrha was on her way to Weiss, then Violet would need to cut her off. Deciding on an angle of approach, she set off at a run, weaving her way between the trees and vegetation that made up the floor of the Emerald Forest. ' _No Grimm. So far so good._ '

Violet burst into a clearing and smiled. No sign of the two, yet. ' _This should be about where Pyrrha will come through._ ' Violet moved over to the side that Pyrrha would have to come from and hid in a bush, waiting for her chance to pop up and pretend like she'd just stumbled into Pyrrha. ' _Shit happens, sorry Pyrrha. I promise I really_ _ **do**_ _just want to be friends._ '

Violet saw a flash of red and gold through the trees off to her side, ' _There you are,_ ' and spared a glance to the other side of the clearing. Her face paled as she noticed white moving through the trees. ' _This is going to be close._ ' Watching the different approaches of both, Violet timed it to right before Pyrrha would get into the clearing, and stepped out from her bush.

A rush of movement and then a startled 'Eep!' behind her caused Violet to swing around in surprise before something dressed in red came blurring out of the woods behind her. She only had time to see a pair of silver eyes before the head attached to said eyes slammed into her own. Violet's world turned black.

* * *

"What were you thinking, running around like that!?" Weiss's voice came in as a warbling mess, unfocused and distant.

"I'm sorry! She just kind of popped out of the bush in front of me!" Ruby's voice could be heard, sounding on the verge of tears.

"I'm sure it was an accident… It looks like she's waking up now," Pyrrha's voice could be heard more easily, as Violet sat up, her head starting to clear. There was still a high pitched ' _eeee!_ ' that refused to leave no matter how hard she shook her head.

Violet took in the scene around her, Ruby was standing behind both Weiss and Pyrrha, all of them looking at her with concern etched across their faces.

"Did anyone get the number of that rose bush? I need to call my lawyer," Violet mumbled, the high pitched sound finally starting to fade away into the background.

Weiss huffed, "She's fine, thank god." Weiss offered Violet a hand, and she gladly took it, swaying only slightly when she was fully on her feet.

"You know, you should introduce yourself to Weiss the same way. Might serve to break the ice between the two of you."

Weiss rolled her eyes and let go of Violet's hand. They were still in the clearing, though Violet couldn't tell how long she'd been out and decided to ask the others.

"Just a few minutes, actually. Are you sure you're okay?" Pyrrha replied, still a hint of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Violet sighed before stepping up next to Ruby. The girl was still looking far too guilt stricken, "Really. I'll be okay, partner." Violet ruffled Ruby's hair for good measure to show there were no hard feelings between the two. The smile returned timidly to Ruby's face, and the four of them stopped to take in their surroundings.

"Pretty sure it's that way," Violet said finally, pointing northward towards the mountain that could barely be seen over the top of the trees.

"I can't disagree," Weiss stated, taking the lead in that direction. The other three fell in line, and Violet chose to introduce herself to Pyrrha.

She gestured toward herself, "Violet, and you're Pyrrha Nikos, right? I watched the tournaments each year. You're really good."

Pyrrha's cheeks colored slightly at the praise, but Violet was content to leave it there. Pyrrha didn't like to be overly-acknowledged.

Weiss scoffed from in front of them, "Really good? Pyrrha's the best."

Violet sensed where this might go, and quickly stepped up next to Weiss, "Speaking of being the best. I listened to all of your songs after we met that day, Weiss. Can I get your autograph?"

Weiss sighed, "I guess after we finish initiation I could spare a moment to sign something for you."

Violet leaned in close, getting Weiss's attention and gave a meaningful head nod, back to where Pyrrha was ten feet behind them, staring at the ground in front of her as she walked, "I don't think Pyrrha really appreciates the attention of adoring fans, either. Maybe try to keep that sort of thing to a minimum." Violet whispered it, trying to make sure that Pyrrha didn't over hear them. Weiss gave Pyrrha a long, steady look before turning back to Violet and nodding her agreement. ' _Might as well ease up any problems in the future if they're stuck on the same team._ '

"But enough about that, let's keep focused on the task at hand. Does anyone know what 'relics' we're supposed to be finding out here?" Weiss asked, drawing everyone's attention.

Pyrrha looked happy at the change in subject. Ruby's eyes glazed in thoughtful silence, as if she was trying to remember the exact words that Ozpin and Glynda had used up on the cliff. Violet just shrugged. She knew, but there was no way she was _supposed_ to know.

A howl cut them off. Violet's eyes narrowed as she peered through the trees ahead of them. She spotted a blur of black, then another, and another.

"Beowulf pack. They caught our scent," Violet stated, preparing Zenith by raising it in front of herself. The others each drew their respective weapons, and Violet looked around at each of them in turn with an approving nod, "I'm sure we can take them."

The others smiled in agreement before taking positions. Pyrrha took the rear with Ruby, raising her shield up to chest level and holding Milo at the ready. Ruby spun Crescent Rose backwards, lowering to the ground in preparation to activate her semblance and blitz the first Grimm that popped into sight on her side. Violet noticed Weiss giving Ruby an uncertain glance and chuckled before whispering over to the girl, "She can take care of herself. Focus on your own fight." Weiss still seemed uncertain, but turned back to her side all the same and focused.

The sound of Crescent Rose firing off behind them announced the arrival of the first Grimm, and its subsequent death as the scythe cut through it in one fell swoop. The rest of the Grimm immediately charged in from their various hiding spots. Weiss threw up a glyph to speed herself and flashed forwards into the first on her side. Violet recognized the familiar sound of Milo in rifle mode, firing off at the Grimm on Pyrrha's side.

Two came charging out of the woodworks at Violet, lumbering roughly through small bushes and knocking over saplings in their wake. ' _If you find yourself facing multiple opponents, focus on speed first to avoid taking damage, then get in hits whenever you find an opening._ ' Pepper's training droned through her head, beaten into her skull until she could recite it all verbatim. Violet activated her semblance on her own body, feeling it lighten considerably. ' _Try to use their numbers against them. Put one of them between you and the other at all times, so that you aren't being flanked and can focus on one direction in front of you._ '

As they approached side-by-side, Violet used a sudden burst of speed and dashed diagonally, positioning her body to the right side of the right beowulf. The other would have to plow through his own pack mate to get to her. The one closest snarled and reared back a clawed hand. ' _So predictable._ ' Violet dropped low, letting her greatsword lay almost flat behind her as the claws wooshed above her head, leaving it exposed. ' _No hesitation._ ' Violet dragged her greatsword across the ground from behind her, then swung it upwards, putting the weight back into it the instant before it made contact with the beowulf's neck. There was a satisfying sound as the head was cut clean off, sent flying somewhere behind her as the body dropped with a thud in front of her.

The second beowulf was just then getting around the side of the other beowulf's body. It charged at her angrily, and she used it's momentum against it. She stepped to the side, twirling like a matador to confuse it, then slammed the full weight of Zenith into the path it's nearest leg was taking. Unable to stop itself, the beowulf plowed through the edge of her greatsword, lopping off its own front leg in the process. Violet immediately capitalized on its downed form. It used its other legs to try and push forward for a bite, but instead it ate the full forty pounds of steel that Violet slammed down onto its head.

There was another rustling sound behind her, and Violet turned around to see another beowulf that had remained hidden, already leaping with its claws raised, snarling eyes focused on her face in a cold fury. A red blur met it halfway, and Violet was forced to duck as the upper torso of the beowulf flew over her head. She gave Ruby an appreciative nod. The girl smiled, finally in her element. Violet turned back to see how the others were faring. There was no need to worry, the fight might as well have been over before it even began. Pyrrha stood over the pieces of three beowulves, Weiss over two, and looking around, Violet could spot the bodies of five others that were most likely Ruby's handiwork.

"Told ya," Violet said to Weiss with a smug grin. The girl could only nod when she also noticed how many Ruby had handled.

"Shall we continue?" Weiss asked.

"Right behind you, fearless leader!" Violet replied to Weiss, pointing with certainty towards where she knew the ruins would be.

Weiss huffed, but seemed pleased. ' _She does want to end up as a team leader, after all._ '

The group set off again. The mountainside was slowly approaching off to their left, and Violet looked over curiously. ' _I guess the deathstalker won't be making an appearance-_ ' Violet's train of thought was cut off as the trees cleared, and she noticed the rubble in front of the cave. The sides of the cave entrance were smashed to bits, as if some large creature had… ' _Its already out!_ '

Violet suppressed a gasp and let her composure resettle before turning to the rest, "Guys, look," she pointed off towards the cave, "That rubble looks fresh to me. I might be jumping to conclusions here, but if some big Grimm was trapped in there and broke out, it can't be good. Someone is probably in trouble. We should hurry."

Weiss frowned. It really was a leap in logic, not one that Violet would be able to explain now, but could chalk up to a lucky guess later on, "I have a decent idea of where we need to go. If you're all okay with it, I'll use my semblance on all of us so that we can run there without too much strain."

"If you're really that worried…" Weiss started.

"What does your semblance do?" Pyrrha asked uncertainly.

"It'll make us all lighter," Violet said briefly, looking at each in turn. Weiss had already stepped up next to Violet, and shared in giving a questioning look to the other two. Ruby stepped up immediately, pressured into agreeing by the two older girls. Pyrrha took a second longer, but taking the hint, stepped closer to Violet as well.

Violet closed her eyes and focused. Reducing the mass on her weapon and herself was easy enough. Extending it to another person could be tiring if she kept it going for too long. Four people? ' _I'll be tired by the time we reach the ruins, but if it gets the three of them there faster and feeling fresher for the fight, then it will be worth it._ ' It took a few seconds of concentration before each of the three girls around her widened their eyes in surprise. Weiss did less so, but Violet knew well enough how pleasant it was to suddenly feel a tenth the weight that you normally did.

Violet nodded to them, "Keep close. The further you get away from me, the harder it is to keep this up. Ruby, if you see someone is in a desperate situation, I want you to use your semblance and get in there to help as fast as you can. You're speedy enough as it is without my help."

They all nodded along, and followed closely as she took off running. Weiss stuck two steps to her left, Ruby two steps to her right, and Violet could feel Pyrrha only a few behind the rest of them, running in a diamond formation with Violet in the lead. It took three minutes of hard sprinting, Violet could feel her semblance's strength waning, before they burst out into a much larger clearing than before. Violet's eyes took in the ruins, the chess pieces small glinting specks on their raised pillars, and the battle that was currently taking place.

Blake was behind the Deathstalker, trying to get its attention with Gambol Shroud, but the small dagger and pistol combination wasn't enough to distract it from the prey in front of it. The Deathstalker slowly walked forward, pincers snapping over and over again towards Yang, who was desperately dodging them, taking every chance she could to fire off shots from her Ember Celicas into the creature's face.

"Yang!" With an outraged cry, Ruby crossed the distance like a bolt of lightning. Violet dropped her semblance's influence on Ruby as she felt the strain instantly start to tank her stamina. In a flash of red that the Deathstalker could never have hoped to react to, Crescent Rose dug a groove straight through the front of its face, gouging out several of its eyes in one long, jagged line. The Deathstalker shrieked in pain and pulled its pincers back towards its face in an attempt to protect itself, giving Yang the breathing room she needed to get out from where she had been boxed in.

Violet's eyes quickly looked over the rest of the clearing. Ren and Nora were currently distracting the Nevermore. Ren was dipping and dodging through a hail of feathers thicker than his arms, and Nora was pounding it with shot after shot from Magnhild. The combination was effectively throwing off the Nevermore's aim, it screeched in annoyance but refused to land, instead dipping away to circle back and try for another strafe run.

The Deathstalker was still distracted, the pain overwhelming its desire to feast on the humans right in front of it. The three of them, Violet, Weiss, and Pyrrha had managed to get within a couple dozen feet of it now. Violet dropped her semblance from the two next to her and herself as she shouted to be heard over the Deathstalker's screams, "Weiss, Ruby! Grab a relic and let's get the hell out of here! There's a cliffside off to the west. If we keep ahead of the Deathstalker, we can at least gain some high ground and avoid it altogether!"

Violet felt a little bad about lying. There _was_ a cliffside to their west, but it would be separated from them by the canyon. Their only choice would be to use the ruins to their advantage, but Violet knew they _could_ beat these two Grimm. There was little danger in the farce, and it would be easy enough to play off as her not being able to see the canyon either until they were right up on it.

They all took it in stride, though. It seemed like Ren and Nora had heard her as well. Nora idly tossed the rook she had taken, repocketed it and waved energetically towards them. Ren kept his eyes on the Nevermore that was still a ways off, giving them time to take a breather. Weiss used her glyphs to quickly get in and out past the Deathstalker. Ruby was already in the ruins, and flew out at a speed that the Deathstalker couldn't have hoped to keep up with, even if it had been fully aware of its surroundings. Violet sighed, she hadn't seen what pieces they'd grabbed.

' _No time for that now._ ' The Deathstalker was finally shaking off the pain, its pincers swung back out from its body and clacked together ominously as it spun to face the group that gathered around her. Violet sighed. ' _I'm so damn tired._ ' The run to get here had felt more like a marathon. She'd essentially supported the majority of four people's mass plus her sword's. ' _Thankfully they're all fit young women._ ' Violet shivered at the thought of having to do that with team Cardinal. ' _No way. I'll leave them to die. It'll be better for my health._ '

Weiss seemed to sense her fatigue, and looked towards the western cliff that was just barely visible over the treetops. She jumped in where Violet faltered, "Let's go! That Deathstalker isn't going to wait for us to catch our breath."

Everyone nodded their assent and took off after her. Weiss glanced back towards Violet a few times, but Violet worked up the best confident expression she could and smiled at her. Violet _had_ done a lot of stamina conditioning during her years of training. She knew her body's limits, and she was still a ways off before she would end up collapsing from exhaustion.

The cliff was thankfully a shorter distance than it appeared, sitting low at only about a hundred feet above the ground level on _their_ side of the canyon. The ruins started off as a bridge that then led out into a spiral tower, reaching up with decrepit stonework to the edge of the opposite plateau. The group took it in stride, though. The Deathstalker plowed through the treeline behind them, coming into view with a sickly shriek as it found its prey once again. A screech from the sky answered it back as the Nevermore sighted in on them now that they were back in the open.

Weiss reached the beginning of the bridge first, but didn't cross. She stopped at the edge and turned backwards, firing off dust-infused shots from Myrtenaster with elegant flicks of her weapon. Ice, fire, gravity, lightning. Each hit didn't slow the Deathstalker nearly enough. It was still gaining on the group. Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Violet crossed first, but had to fling themselves forward as the Nevermore's massive form took advantage of their positioning and exploded through the middle of the bridge. Weiss, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora were left on the opposite side. Stuck between a thirty foot gap stretched over a yawning canyon with no visible bottom, and a Deathstalker. Violet didn't fault them for trying their luck with the Deathstalker.

She had her own troubles to worry about, though. The Nevermore was circling back around. Yang, Blake, and Ruby were up, firing shots at it that just pinged off its thick feathers and hide. Violet took a quick inventory of weapons and semblances at their disposal. She knew Yang could get the Nevermore down if she fired directly down its throat. After that… An idea started to form in Violet's mind, and she quickly called out to the others to put it into action.

"Yang, we need to knock it down to the ground. Ruby, once its down, try and pin a wing down with Crescent Rose. Yang and Blake should do the same to the other wing, but stay away from the middle of its body. Once its immobilized, I'll be able to have a guaranteed shot at it."

Yang and Blake looked at her with some uncertainty, but Ruby agreed immediately, "You heard her, Yang! We don't have much time!" Backed by her sister, Yang gritted her teeth and climbed up one of the taller pillars. The Nevermore had finished its lazy return and was now headed back for them. Yang started punching the air, firing off shots and drawing its attention to herself. Trusting Yang to do what needed to be done, Violet moved into position.

The Nevermore flew at Yang in outrage at the shots that were slamming into its front side. As it approached, she pointed her Ember Celicas down, firing them as she jumped and launched herself higher than she could have jumped unaided. The Nevermore took the bait, angling its a body and opening its mouth to swallow Yang whole. With a feat of pure strength of will, Yang stopped herself from being bitten in half by slamming one hand up into the roof of its beak, and pushed down with her feet, forcing the Nevermore's mouth to remain open, while her free arm fired shot after shot directly down the Nevermore's throat.

It gave an agonized scream and lost control. Yang jumped out of its mouth at the last moment as the Nevermore's body slammed heavily into the cliffside, stunning it. As it tried to pull itself back up, the red blur that was Ruby came flashing down from the sky, Crescent Rose opened to its maximum, and pierced straight down through the Nevermore's wing, burying the scythe's blade a foot and a half into the stone beneath. Blake took her queue, and fired Gambol Shroud as she threw it to Yang, keeping a hold of her half of ribbon that they then held over the top of the Nevermore's other wing.

Violet sent her aura surging down into Zenith, its form shifting dramatically into a shape that resembled a long rifle. The center split open, revealing coils on either side that started to hum loudly, sparks shot back and forth between the coils, charged with compact lightning dust fed up into the weapon from where she stored it in her pommel. The grip and trigger fell into place. Violet reached down to her belt, removing one of the six, fifty caliber, bullet-shaped pieces of pure steel that she kept strapped to her ammo belt. There was no blasting cap. Her 'gun' wasn't as conventional as that.

Violet slotted the projectile directly in between the coils. As soon as it got close, the electromagnetic field they were producing pulled it out of her hands and into a floating position, locked into place by the opposing polls that surrounded it. Violet breathed out, absorbed every ounce of the forty pounds of steel her weapon usually weighed, and _forced_ it all into the projectile. It didn't sag of falter, still held by the magnetic fields locking it in.

She sighted down her railgun, aimed at the Nevermore's head, and squeezed the trigger.

The ground in front of her erupted outwards in a cone, as the projectile itself tore through the air, going from a standstill to Mach 3 in the span of four feet, creating a massive heatwave at the end of her weapon. Protective ice dust was vented simultaneously from the spot nearest the grip, protecting Violet from the resulting backlash that still threatened to knock her backwards.

The Nevermore never heard the shot that killed it, as the heat alone coming off the projectile liquified anything in its path. The resulting crater left in the canyon wall would remain a harsh reminder to Zenith's destructive power, as the Nevermore's body offered no resistance. A foot wide hole was visible through its entire body before the Nevermore's weight collapsed in on itself, unmoving.

' _At least those sci-fi universes paid off._ '

Violet's legs gave out and she fell backwards, laying out flat on her little section of the bridge that remained, Zenith limply held in her outstretched hand, still in railgun mode, but coils dimmed and silent. Its full charge of concentrated lightning dust had been spent in that one shot. Violet was too tired to even crane her neck to see what the trio's faces must look like. ' _I'm popping back in time later to take a picture,_ ' she promised herself.

* * *

"Weiss Schnee, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Pyrrha Nikos. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward you will work together as Team Siren (SRNN). Led by, Weiss Schnee! Congratulations!"

' _I failed. Team RWBY is no more…_ '

Team Siren vacated the stage after applauding Weiss. They at least looked happy with the results, and Violet couldn't fault them for that. It was her new team's turn now.

"Violet Regalia, Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby Rose. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team Vibrant (VYBR). Led by, Violet Regalia."

' _Oh no, and I'm the leader… This couldn't get any worse…_ ' Violet's eyes roamed the auditorium and she paused, ' _No, scratch that. I could have ended up on team Cardinal somehow. I would rather be on a team by myself than with that bunch._ '

Violet's team congratulated her and each other as well, but in that moment, she wasn't feeling particularly cheerful.


	6. Lessons Learned

It was already getting late in the evening when Ms. Goodwitch assigned them a dorm, gave them each their school approved apparel, and issued them personal Scrolls, capable of summoning their lockers and required to open their dorm rooms. Each of the four girls gathered their things and brought them to their room for the first time.

The room was very standard. Four beds with matching sheets, two desks with a small lamp apiece and small overhead shelves, and a single short book shelf set in front of the large window. There was one door beside the one they had came in from, leading into the open bathroom which was also light on furnishings. The light was off as Violet entered first, and she noted as she turned it on that you could control the brightness in the room. She went ahead and set it to max for the time being, but made a note of it, an idea flickering through her mind but shelved for later.

The other three were quick to file in as well. After the events of the day, even Yang seemed tired and none of them could keep a conversation going for more than a few sentences. Violet chose the bed against the left wall, resolving to wake up early in the morning and unpack then, and it seemed the others took her queue. They took turns changing in the bathroom, and were soon all lying in bed, letting themselves succumb to the dreams that clawed them into sweet unconsciousness.

* * *

Violet was the first to wake. She got up quietly to use the bathroom and changed into her new school uniform and freshened up. The uniform fit perfectly, and she couldn't help but give a small smile while she looked herself up and down in the mirror. She could make this work. It might not have gone as she'd planned, but then, not much seemed to anyway. All Violet could do was make the most out of it.

As she stepped back out into the room, she looked at the sleeping figures still lying in their respective beds. Yang laid flat on her back, snoring lightly, her hair spread out in every direction. Ruby was curled up, nearly into the fetal position, gripping her blanket tightly. Blake had taken up the wall opposite Violet's, and was drawn in towards the corner more than might have been comfortable for most people. Violet lips twinged towards a smile as she noticed the bow on her head twitching in her sleep. A small, almost imperceptible movement, but Violet didn't fail to catch it. She really would have to do something about that soon. It can't be nice having a delicate part of your body wrapped up like that all the time. Violet at least wanted Blake to be able to let loose in their dorm.

The sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon, and Violet realized she'd been staring in thought at the trio of girls for ten or so minutes. It was already seven in the morning, and with the renovations they were going to do, Violet wanted to make sure they had plenty of time before Port's first class. Blake was the first of the three to wake. Her head rose slowly up off her pillow, still looking towards the wall. Violet quickly turned back towards the desk behind her and scraped the chair back. She felt Blake's stare suddenly on the back of her head, but the intensity softened as Violet sat down and pulled up her bag of belongings, starting to rifle through them. Violet hadn't brought much with her from Atlas, only enough to last the first week of school before she'd be able to head down into Vale and buy some more permanent things. Even Blake had brought along more things than Violet had, but then again, they were probably all the things she owned. ' _Did she rob a bookstore to get so many? I never pictured her running off with pockets stuffed with lien._ '

There was a barely audible, "Good morning," from Blake as she let herself into the bathroom, closing the door before Violet could reciprocate. After a few minutes, Violet heard the shower turn on, and looked back towards the other two. Now was as good a time as any to get the day started. Violet left her bag sitting open, items strewn out across the desk as she stepped up between Yang and Ruby's bed. Violet pulled the curtain wide, letting in a flood of light that basked the room in a healthy glow.

Yang looked so peaceful, so serene, despite the snoring that is. ' _It's almost a shame_ ' Violet thought idly as she softly climbed up on to the other girl's bed, standing above her. The mattress dipped beneath her as she drew one foot back.

"Wakey, wakey!" Violet shouted, slamming her foot into Yang's exposed ribs. Yang awoke with a start, thrashing wildly in Violet's direction, surprising her. Between Yang grabbing at her legs, and the awkward shifting of the mattress beneath, Violet toppled off the bed backwards. She was saved a concussion from Ruby's bedpost thanks to her aura, as Ruby also bolted awake at the sound of her crashing to the floor.

"Ow! Violet! What was that for!?" Yang shouted, clutching at her side while shooting a death glare at where Violet lied on the floor, rubbing her head.

"Revenge," she replied darkly, but with a smile on her face, standing back up.

"W'as goin' on?" Ruby said half asleep, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

Violet smiled and grabbed both her wrists, drawing them aside to look Ruby in the face, "It's the first day of Beacon, Little Red, and we all still need to unpack." Ruby's eyes widened and she hopped up out of bed excitedly, rushing to her things like it was Christmas morning. She spent a few minutes rummaging through her things before Blake opened the bathroom door, already fully dressed with her bow securely in place. Ruby blew past her, uniform in hand, petals scattering across the floor in her wake.

"Did your family sell bouquets with all these excess rose petals lying around?" Violet asked back towards Yang, idly picking up one of the petals. It fizzled away after a few seconds, "Bad deal for them if you did."

"Our dad was a teacher at Signal," Yang said roughly, getting out of bed as well. Her aura had already healed the sore spot on her chest, but she continued to play up the pain. Yang looked around for her own things and spotted them on one of the desks, moving that way. She grabbed her things and joined Ruby in the bathroom to change.

"What about you, Blake?" Violet asked good naturedly, crossing her arms and leaning back against the windowsill. She already knew the answer, but was curious to see what lie Blake would come up with.

Blake's shoulders drew up in defense, but she forcibly relaxed herself. She kept her eyes away from Violet, though, and started pulling books out of her pack to slide on to the shelf, "I don't know. I haven't seen my parents in a long time."

' _Half lie, half truth._ ' Violet pondered. She lied down on Yang's bed, crossing her arms behind her head on the other girl's pillow and stared up at the ceiling, "My father owns a real estate company in Atlas, but he has property her in Vale as well. He does well with it, and my older brother makes him proud." Violet turned to look at Blake, who's expression was unreadable, "That life wasn't for me, though. Board meetings and legal documents and briefings, it was always too boring to hold my attention for long."

"Well you certainly escaped it. Becoming a huntress is as far as you could get from that," Blake replied evenly.

"Exactly!" Violet said, turning back to look at the ceiling, "I just had to get away from it all and make a difference in my own way."

Blake turned away, a thoughtful expression on her face as she finished up placing her books on the shelf. The door to the bathroom opened, and Yang stepped out with her arms wide, basking in imagined praise at how good she looked. Violet decided to humor her, and gave an appreciative wolf whistle, "Thank you, thank you!"

They spent the next half an hour unloading their things, and all came to the same conclusion. Their room was crammed to the brim, taking up the majority of the floor space and forcing their beds up against each other. Ruby jumped in with her idea of making bunk beds, and after another half hour, they'd cleared a considerable amount of space. Blake and Yang would sleep on the right side of the room, Blake on the top bunk and Yang on the lower, while Ruby and Violet shared the left side of the room, Ruby above and Violet below.

Violet looked at Ruby's bunk, bolted to the ceiling with ropes, ' _Where'd she even find that stuff?_ ' and noticed it swaying slightly. ' _Yeah, I'm not gonna die in my sleep, crushed by Ruby's_ _ **bed**_ _._ ' Violet directed a small iota of power into the bolts, securing them much more firmly, all the while making sure her eyes didn't light up. It seemed Yang had at least forgotten that line of questioning for the time being thanks to yesterday's events, and Violet was loathe to bring it back up again ahead of time. ' _Which reminds me…_ '

"It's 8:45. Our class starts at 9. We should get ready and start heading that way," Violet told the room, making good on her own suggestion and grabbing her book and notebook. She slipped her Scroll into her pocket and held the door open for them all to file out with some resignation.

"Helloooooo~!" Nora's voice sang from the hallway in greeting as the first members of team Vibrant stepped out. Pyrrha gave a small wave from behind her, and Ren only nodded. It seemed Weiss had the same idea to leave early, as the group of eight headed towards class together.

"So, what class is first?" Yang asked, pounding her fists together expectantly.

"Grimm Studies with Professor Port," Weiss answered.

"What? When do we get to hit stuff?" Yang whined, her hands falling to her sides and shoulders slumping dramatically.

"That would be Ms. Goodwitch's combat class after lunch," Violet answered this time, smiling as Yang perked back up, only to sigh at Violet's next words, "Both of which are after Dr. Oobleck's history class."

The group continued to chat amongst each other, making introductions and commenting on each other's performance the day prior. They started complimenting and asking questions about everyone's weapons. Ruby was back in her element. Violet was happy to just listen in, already knowing as much as she needed about their weapons, before Ruby piped up, "And Violet's… what even was that!?'

All eyes turned towards her. Siren's fight against the Deathstalker had ended before Vibrant's, so they'd all gotten a good look at how the Nevermore had met its untimely demise. Violet shrugged. This wasn't anything she needed to hide, and it kept Yang distracted from her witch hunt. "It's a railgun. The coils inside produce a magnetic field. When I fire it, they turn on in sequence, firing the projectile through the force generated by the magnets. It takes an insane amount of lightning dust to power, causes a blow back of heat that took me months to figure out a work around to, and has to enter cooldown for about a minute afterwards while wind dust circulates out the excess heat. All things considered, the only thing it excels at killing are large Grimm. Not unless someone was dumb enough to stand there while I aimed it at them."

"Can you show me how to make the magnetic sequence thingy?" Ruby asked, wide eyes begging for Violet to say yes.

"It wouldn't work nearly as well without my semblance, Ruby," Violet laughed.

"Awww, why?" Ruby pouted. The rest turned to her with the same question on their minds. Or at least a few of them did. Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ren seemed to be following along, if still with some mild confusion. Yang, Blake, and Nora looked completely lost.

"Like I said, it generates a lot of heat. Before I fire it off, I use my semblance to transfer the weight from my greatsword down into the projectile. The extra forty pounds of mass adds some durability to it, in a way. If you tried to fire Zenith off without that, the projectile would liquefy instantly. All you would get is about twice the kick that it usually puts out exploding out the sides, and nothing would leave the barrel."

"At least we don't have to worry about someone stealing it to use against us in a fight," Pyrrha nodded along thoughtfully.

"That would certainly be a shock for them," Violet chuckled. The others that had been trying to follow along at least nodded at that last bit. Message received. Never try and fire Violet's gun.

They reached the classroom and all filed in. There were a couple teams that had gotten there ahead of them, but with five minutes left before class started they were hardly the last. Both teams took up places next to each other, Violet had Ruby on her left and Yang then Blake on her right. Professor Port was at the front of the class, writing on the chalkboard and waiting for the bell before he would start his lecture. The last team to get into the classroom was Cardinal, who took the seats a few rows behind them.

Violet noticed Ruby had already begun doodling on her paper next to her and bumped her with an elbow, "Hey, you're going to pay attention once class starts, right? You moved ahead two years. I don't want you falling even further behind."

Ruby hid away her half finished cartoonish drawing of Professor Port under the rest of her notebook and looked at Violet with a look of complete and utter innocence, "O-Of course!"

As the bell rang and Professor Port started his 'lecture', ' _if you could really call it that_ ', Ruby started zoning out. Her hand drifted towards the drawing whenever she thought Violet's focus was elsewhere, her feet drummed against the seat beneath her, her hands tapped against the desk in a poor attempt at a drum beat, and she huffed in discontentment every thirty seconds or so. Violet was so busy noticing all of Ruby's bored little ticks and antics that she didn't realize how much time had passed.

Professor Port shouted out a "Ho, oh!" and looked over the class, "So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of a true huntress?"

Violet kicked Ruby's leg under the desk and gave her a meaningful look. Ruby's hand shot up, but her voice immediately wilted under the attention, "Uh, me?..."

"Well then, let's find out! Step forward, and face your opponent!" Port gestured off to his right with a wave of his hand, to an ominous looking black steel cage that began to rattle and huff.

Ruby leaned over to whisper to Violet, a quiver in her voice, " _Uhm, why am I doing this!?_ "

"So you can blow off some energy. It's just a boarbatusk, go _play_ ," Violet said, shooing the girl out of her seat with a push to get her moving, "You'll be _fine_."

Ruby nervously left to get her weapon, taking a bit longer than necessary to return. Ruby's cheeks immediately heated at all the attention she was getting from the class, all eyes turned towards either her or the cage off in the corner of the room. Violet gave her two thumbs up. Yang started cheering loudly for her little sister. Even Blake was getting into the mood, and gave Ruby a confident nod when their eyes met.

Port hefted his blunderbuss axe, and Ruby's eyes focused on the cage across the room from her. The red in her cheeks started to recede as determination grew in its place. With a mighty swing, the axe came crashing down, shattering the lock off the cage. The cage shook as the boarbatusk's bulk shot out a few steps, surprisingly spry for its size. Red eyes stared at Ruby, the target of its aggression after being locked away in a cage for god knows how long. With a sound that was half squeal, half growl, it charged forward.

Ruby fired off a shot from Crescent Rose, but the bullet ricocheted off the bones covering its front side. She was forced to dodge, rolling to her right as the boarbatusk blew past her, left tusk missing her by only a few inches. Ruby shifted her weapon to its scythe form, leveling it behind herself and lowering to the ground, readying herself for its second pass. The boarbatusk stopped ten feet away, spinning in place to face Ruby again, snuffling in annoyance. It curled in on itself, spinning faster and faster before shooting towards Ruby.

This time, Ruby utilized her semblance, waiting even longer before deftly zipping out of the way of the approaching creature. With a yelp, the boarbatusk crashed into Port's desk, falling into a heap on its back. Ruby took her chance, blurring back in, and with a single flourish, slammed the point of Crescent Rose down into the boarbatusk's stomach. It squealed in pain, then went limp, its body already starting to disintegrate.

Yang shouted, "Yeah!" from among the spectators, many of which started clapping, drawing Ruby back into the present where she was now the sole focus of the class. Thankfully, Port spoke up then, "Ho, oh! It looks like we are indeed in the presence of a _true_ huntress in training! I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today!" Port then continued, listing off some pages that they would need to read before tomorrow, and excusing them from the class.

They had fifteen minutes before they would have to get to Oobleck's class. Violet, Yang, and Blake caught up with Ruby outside in the hallway as she was walking back to the locker rooms to put away Crescent Rose. Violet gave Ruby a smile and playfully hugged her around the shoulders with one arm, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No-o," Ruby struggled out, and Violet grinned at the rosiness to her cheeks, "It was just embarrassing."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Yang tapped Ruby on the shoulder with her fist, "You did fine."

"And if that's how you react to one measly fight with a boarbatusk, then how are you going to get through sparring in Ms. Goodwitch's class?" Violet felt Ruby's knees buckle and supported her with her arm wrapped around her, "You forgot the people were even there once the fight started. I'm sure it will be the same for combat class." Ruby cheered up a little at that. She _did_ act differently as soon as the fight started.

With Ruby's weapon safely stowed back in her locker, the four of them headed to Oobleck's class. The man was silently standing behind his desk, taking the occasional sip from his coffee mug and eyeing each student that stepped into the class. Violet gave the man a small smile and headed over to go sit with her team. On the inside, she shuddered. This was undoubtedly going to be the most _boring_ class to have to take. ' _History lessons? I_ _ **watched**_ _it all pass with my own eyes…_ ' Violet huffed, leaning forward with crossed arms on the table in front of her and resting her chin down on them. It was times like these that Violet wished she really could find comfort in sleep.

As the bell rang and the class officially started, Violet let her mind wander completely. Moments like these were why her and her brother never connected much. Peri was only interested in talking about things that Violet _wasn't_ interested in, and when she was bored, her mind tended to wander to the extreme. Violet began to reminisce of times long gone, when she had been on adventures with different people, in different worlds, as a different person. It was enough to keep her entertained. She noted with pleasure that at least Ruby was paying attention, the fight _had_ let out some of the girl's pent up energy, and now she was following along with the history lesson Professor Oobleck was regaling them with. The man darted back and forth across the front of the class, coffee having kicked in, and never let up on his verbal tirade.

Violet was dimly aware of when Oobleck started asking the class questions, the most familiar of which finally coming about as he turned to Cardin, "Mr. Winchester, what advantage did the faunus have over General Lagoon's forces?"

"Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal, than a soldier," Cardin replied with obvious disdain. There was a general intake of breath around the room, the students and even Oobleck appearing uncertain about where to take the conversation from there. Oobleck sipped his coffee and looked like he was about to say something before Violet interjected.

"Trash like you would judge someone before you got to know them," Violet surprised herself as she spoke. She hadn't been paying any mind to the conversation, and knew what Cardin was going to say ahead of time. Something about it irked her more than she thought it would, though. Perhaps it was the years spent with Henna that fueled her rage, but the comment _had_ made her angry. Violet turned around to glare at Cardin as he spoke, "What? You got a problem?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Violet fumed.

"That's enough," Oobleck interjected, "Ms. Regalia, do you have the answer?"

Violet thought back to the Battle of Fort Castle, and what parts of the battle likely hadn't been put into their textbooks. She could see the reason, plain as day, and smirked. ' _This oughta get under his skin._ '

"While General Lagoon was an _idiot_ for attacking the faunus at night, he still had the edge due to both better weaponry, and a vast amount of soldiers at his disposal. Bullets don't need to see in the dark to kill you, after all, and with his soldiers laying down a heavy amount of suppressive fire on the walls of the fort, the faunus were essentially boxed in. Fortunately for the faunus, _they_ weren't idiots. They had already captured two separate reconnaissance groups from the previous week, and outfitted themselves with their clothing to sneak into General Lagoon's ranks. When they were successful and captured the General, they forced the soldiers to stand down. One brave group of faunus changed the tides of the battle, and won them the day."

Violet continued quickly before she could be interrupted, wanting to push her final point home, "The books won't mention this because they were written by humans, and for them, it's better to make the battle sound like it was _lost_ by the humans because of a simple mistake that can be corrected, and not _won_ by the faunus for their ingenuity and courage. Even when they lose, humans still write the history books."

"May I ask how you came about this information, Ms. Regalia?" Dr. Oobleck asked, not disbelieving of her, just genuinely curious.

Violet had to lie, but what she said before was still the truth, "One of my maids was a faunus whose grandfather was at the Battle of Fort Castle. It's secondhand knowledge, but I trust her more than I do these books."

"Indeed, I cannot blame you. The victors have a history of, well, rewriting history, and humanity did prevail in the end," Dr. Oobleck gave her a smile, "Perhaps we could speak another time, and you could divulge any other information you have that might prove to, _educate_ ," he looked at Cardin as he said it, "our students more effectively."

Violet laughed at Cardin's expense, but didn't turn around to acknowledge his glare, "I would love to teach you a lesson." She obviously didn't mean Dr. Oobleck.

Cardin was positively seething with rage as the bell rang. Oobleck called up to him, telling him to stay after class, and Violet left with her team and team Siren. Violet didn't fail to catch the approving look that both Pyrrha and Blake were sending her way. She hadn't really planned on any of that to make them like her more, Cardin had just pissed her off.

Their group headed to the lunch room, a few comments were said at Cardin's expense as they walked. It took a bit longer for Violet to notice Weiss hanging back, doubt creeping across her face. "What's up?" Violet asked, slowing down to let the others pass and sidling up next to the girl.

"Did you really mean those things you said? You almost sounded like a faunus supremacist, back there," Weiss said, looking askance at Violet, confusion clear on her face, "Are _you_ a faunus?"

"Would I have to be, to think people deserve respect, no matter what extra parts they might have? We're all still the same in _here_ , Weiss," Violet ended by pointing at Weiss's chest, right about where her heart would be.

"But, groups like the White Fang-" Weiss started before getting cut off by Violet.

"Are doing the only thing they can to try and change their lot in life. What do you think would be the result of poor education, blatant racism, and denial of any faunus representation in the systems of government that create laws specifically catered to keeping the faunus down?" Violet tried to help Weiss hear the truth in her words, "The only faunus in a position of power I know of, outside Menagerie, is Headmaster Lionheart in Haven, and _he_ only got there because he had the full backing of Ozpin."

Violet could see the uncertainty twisting Weiss's face. Weiss looked at Violet, sadness in her eyes and asked, "Do you hate me for being a Schnee?"

Violet gave a warm hearted laugh and smacked Weiss lightly across the back of her head, "Were you not paying attention? I meant it when I said you shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them. Call me an optimist, but I don't think _you_ would go cheap on security and send faunus to risk their deaths in the Schnee mines just to protect the company's precious profit margins."

Weiss's face became resolute as she stared ahead, "No. No I wouldn't."

"Well, there you have it. If I might suggest, the next time you get the chance, maybe talk to a faunus. Get to know them. Their dreams and ambitions, their life experiences… You might be surprised by how logical it all sounds when compared to what they've been through."

Weiss smiled at her and nodded, "Thank you. I… I just might do that."

It wasn't until then that Violet saw Blake's bow twitching wildly.

* * *

Lunch passed uneventfully, everyone seemed to be excited about their first combat class with Ms. Goodwitch. Ruby made the mistake of revealing that she'd met Ms. Goodwitch before Beacon, and ended up having to field questions from around the table. Sure, they'd all _seen_ Ms. Goodwitch around the school and at initiation, but to see her _fight_?

They quieted down once lunch ended and they left for combat class. They opened the doors to be greeted with a small half-coliseum. The raised seats looked down on the arena stage, lit from above by several spotlights. Off to the side of the stage, two separate doors each led to their respective girl's and boy's locker rooms. All the various first year teams filled in only a small portion of the available seating, the excess reserved for when students from other kingdoms visited for the Vytal Festival and Tournament.

Once they had all settled down in their seats, Ms. Goodwitch herself stepped out of a back room that connected to the stage. ' _Probably leads to her office,_ ' Violet thought absentmindedly. She giggled when all the assembled students leaned forward, on to the edge of their seats, but stopped when she felt herself pressed up against the rail in front of her as well. ' _This_ _ **is**_ _where the fun begins._ '

Ms. Goodwitch gave them a rundown on how the sparring sessions would work. She pointed to the large screen behind her, where currently only her aura bar showed, "Once a fighter's aura has reached the yellow, the spar is over. Anyone can demand a fight once per week. Aside from those, I will be delegating out the matches, trying to find good combinations of opponents to help _both_ students learn from the experience. The record of your performances will be catalogued, and at the end of the semester you will be given a grade that shows your current standing compared to the rest of the class. Are there any questions?"

A few hands raised slowly, but none were nearly as fierce as the hand that Cardin shot up, as he physically stood up from his seat as well.

"Yes, Mr. Winchester?"

"I want to fight _her_ ," Cardin said vehemently, pointing a shaking finger in Violet's direction.

Violet laughed and said aloud so that the whole class would hear it, "I've never seen someone so eager to sign their death warrant. Would you like to write your obituary out in advance, too?"

"You think you're so tough!?" Cardin's face turned beet red as he seethed with rage.

"No, I just think you're that _weak_."

Cardin looked like he was ready to throw himself over the seats to get to her. The rest of team Cardinal tensed, raising a hair from where they sat. Violet felt more than saw the rest of team Vibrant do the same. ' _That would just be a massacre,_ ' Violet mused.

They were all interrupted by Ms. Goodwitch's voice from the arena below, "Very well, Mr. Winchester. It sounds like the two of you need to solve this little spat in the arena. Both of you suit up. I want you back out here within the next five minutes."

Cardin rushed off to the locker room to grab his things. Violet stood and gave a smirk to her teammates and Siren, before heading to the changing room as well. She changed into her fighting attire and stuck Zenith to her back. When she stepped back out, Cardin was already there standing on the opposite side of the arena, his ridiculous mace resting at his side in a white knuckle grip. Violet grinned anew at the flicker of uncertainty that crossed Cardin's face when he noticed the massive greatsword strapped to her back. The doubt only increased when Glynda turned to Violet and said in no uncertain terms, "I hope it is understood that your gun form will not be allowed during any of your spars in this class, Ms. Regalia."

"Like I would waste a shot on him, anyway. Do you know how much it _costs_ to make compact lightning dust?"

"I would assume it isn't cheap, Ms. Regalia," Glynda replied tightly and stepped back, "You will begin at the sound of the buzzer. Prepare yourselves."

Cardin raised his mace up threateningly, at which Violet just scoffed and pulled Zenith off her back. Violet's weapon had at least thirty pounds on the mace, and she could move Zenith much faster than he could his weapon. Just as a demonstration, she gave it a few flourishes, making sure to showcase how truly _weightless_ it must feel for her. Cardin tensed and shifted his body, ready to attack at a moment's notice. Violet made herself light-of-foot.

The buzzer went off, and Cardin charged forward through the intervening ten feet that had separated them. ' _Your biggest advantage is the range that you can maintain with your greatsword. It has a longer reach than most other weapons. Always keep your enemies at bay until_ _ **you**_ _want to close the distance._ ' Pepper's instructions rang through Violet's head once again. She kept a close eye on Cardin's movement, paying attention to the rhythm of his feet. Cardin at least wasn't inept enough to leave himself wide open in his opening move, but he was trying to close the gap, thinking to overwhelm Violet quickly.

The instant Cardin stepped within range of her greatsword, she lashed out. He was caught midstep, incapable of backing off, and was instead forced to throw his mace up between them to shield his chest from the greatsword's path. Violet dumped the weight back into Zenith right as it connected with Cardin's mace, the resulting ' _clang!_ ' knocking his guard wide open as his arm was pulled back by the weight of his own mace, forced to do so if he wanted to keep his grip on it. Following up with her momentum, Violet spun and arced Zenith high above her head before lashing downwards. Cardin tried to recover, his front foot pushing off to get back out of Violet's range, but she simply stepped further into the swing. Cardin yelled as he threw his other hand up, taking the brunt of the hit to his forearm and getting flung backwards. ' _Don't back off when you have them on the run._ '

Cardin had the battle sense at least to turn his fall into a roll, managing to get his feet under himself and start to stand, but what he lacked was awareness. His eyes had been off Violet for too long during the roll. His head came up, eyes widening as Zenith slammed against his chest, Violet having followed up her move with a calculated lunge meant to catch him right at that moment.

Cardin backed off, recovering from the sudden onslaught, now in a defensive stance, warily keeping his distance from Violet. His aura was already in the orange. One or two more hits, and he would be out of the fight. Violet considered her prey. His stance was awkward, imperfect. Violet could tell that he wasn't used to being beaten back, but was likely used to being the one doing the beating. As such, he didn't have much practice in defending himself.

Violet withdrew all the mass she could from herself and her greatsword, bending her knees in preparation for a dash into his guard. Cardin sensed the change, and shifted to keep his mace between the two of them. Violet lunged at him, bringing Zenith down towards Cardin's head in one hand. He brought his mace up, using both hands to stop the greatsword on the metal haft. His face turned into one of confusion, though, as Zenith lacked the power it had before. Violet let that arm remain high, keeping his attention on the big threatening sword above him as she dipped under his arms.

Violet transferred the weight from her entire body and Zenith into the left jab she slammed into his stomach. Cardin's breath exploded out, his arms going limp as he brought them down to clutch his abdomen. Violet took that moment to slide Zenith down his guard as she slipped past him, and with another burst of weight into her greatsword, slashed it across his back in one heavy swing that sent him reeling forward onto the ground.

"Stop!" Ms. Goodwitch called out, stepping in to make sure Violet didn't continue the attack. She needn't have worried. Violet took that moment to put Zenith on her back and turned to face the roars of her teammates and team Siren. ' _Lesson learned, I hope._ '


	7. Trust

Blake was more confused than she might have ever been in her life, and feeling so very lucky because of it. This rich girl from Atlas, her own teammate, that grew up with private tutors and maids, living in some mansion on top of the floating city high above the rest of the common folk beneath, was unlike anyone she imagined someone from there would be. There had been the time in the ballroom before initiation, where Violet had given her total privacy despite lying only five feet from her, and even managed to tip her off about Yang being a capable partner. ' _Even if there's no way she could have known I was cautious of her at first_.'

Then they had ended up on the same team, and in the first morning, the girl had stared at her three teammates as they slept. Blake had woken up easily at the first sounds of Violet getting out of bed. She felt more than saw the girl watching them, but waited to see what Violet was going to do before she herself got up. The girl had just sighed longingly, and hid the fact she was staring at them when Blake herself started to move.

And that single comment by the racist had set Violet off, causing her to rant out details that had been left out of the history books about the faunus ' _victory'_ over the humans. There'd been no doubt in Violet's voice, and no edge of regret that the humans had lost. She had sounded proud of the faunus, and threw that fact in Cardin's face, outright condemning him for his beliefs. ' _And then backing it up with her actions, when she kicked his ass in Goodwitch's class later._ '

But most baffling of all, was how the girl had so easily subverted the Schnee's attitude, and even gotten her to agree to have an actual heart to heart with a faunus. ' _A Schnee!_ ' Violet had quickly and concisely pointed out the issue at the center of the White Fang's increased aggression, better than Blake herself could have worded it.

It was just all so confusing. Blake had never met a human that would go so far to protect the faunus. If it wasn't outright racism at their expense, then it was the cold shoulder, the refusal to help no matter how a faunus was beat or berated.

Blake's three teammates were all in the room currently, going about their own business. Violet was sitting at the desk nearest the door, head slumped on her hand while she slowly filled out her history homework. She hadn't even bothered to open up her textbook, and was just filling in answers to the questions on the sheet. Despite her bored expression, she laughed every now and then as she filled in some detail, sounding like she had more insight to share with Oobleck that would make the man's eyebrows reach his hairline.

Violet had also reigned in Ruby when they arrived back at the dorm. Ruby had been wanting to play games on her Scroll, but Violet told the child in no uncertain terms that she needed to do her homework first. Ruby had grumbled initially, but eventually sat down at another one of the desks and started pouring over the information in the textbook. Yang sat next to her, both of them working together through the questions that the younger girl was struggling with. Every now and then, one of them would shoot a question off to Violet, and she'd just mutter the answer back. Never giving them the entire explanation, but just enough that it seemed like they were able to find what they were looking for in the textbook more easily.

Violet finished with her work first and pulled out her Scroll, connecting to some website and idly reading through the text there. Yang and Ruby finally finished fifteen minutes later, both of them sharing a yawn and calling it a night. They changed into their pajamas and crawled into bed, each spending a few last minutes on their Scrolls before truly falling asleep.

Blake sat up in her top bunk, reading one of the books she had bought before coming into Beacon. Blake wasn't exactly the best off financially, but as long as she could afford food, then the extra lien in her account could be spent however she chose, and she chose books, every single time. There was a scrape of Violet's chair being pushed back, and Blake thought she might be heading to bed as well, but instead she leaned against the wall next to the door, her right arm twisted back behind her in a way that Blake doubted was very comfortable. Even so, the girl stayed that way for half an hour.

Blake glanced at her every now and then from over the top of her book, keeping a curious eye on her. Blake couldn't fail to notice the delicate grin that slowly worked its way on to Violet's face. ' _Was she reading something funny on her Scroll?_ ' The small snores of Yang continued, and with her hearing, Blake could tell Ruby was fast asleep as well. Blake kept reading. She was starting to get tired, but until the enigma at the door went to sleep, Blake was content to stay up.

As time passed, Blake's vision started to grow a little fuzzier. ' _I must be more tired than I thought._ ' As long as Violet was up, though, Blake would be to. There was something that felt off, though. Some imperceptible change in the air that she couldn't quite put her finger on. ' _I need to sleep soon,_ ' she said to herself, and glanced at Violet again. Her gaze stopped dead on Violet's eyes, as the girl was grinning at her maliciously.

* * *

Violet stepped away from the wall, where her right hand had slowly been lowering the light level in the room for the last thirty minutes until the light had gone out completely. Violet had given it another five minutes before finally smiling up at Blake, who stopped mid-glance the next time she looked up from her book.

"Oh my, Blake. You know it's bad for your eyes to read in the dark," Violet laughed lightly. It was too dark to see Blake's face, but she was dimly aware of the girl's body freezing up. Step one of her mission, ' _Reveal Blake's Secret_ ' was a success.

* * *

' _What? Reading in the dark? But the light was..._ ' Blake froze as she got a good look around the room and realized what had felt wrong. The room's light was out. Her night vision had kicked in over time, and she had been so wrapped up in her thoughts and her book that she'd failed to notice the telltale signs before it was too late. Violet grinned up at her in the dark, likely incapable of actually seeing Blake's expression with her human eyes. If Violet could, she would have seen Blake's eyes narrow.

"How did you know?" she whispered suspiciously, not wanting to wake up Yang or Ruby and include them in the secret. There was a dangerous edge to her voice. A warning to Violet that she better have an acceptable answer, _or else_. Blake's body tensed where she sat, ready to move if need be.

Violet waved her hand offhandedly, "I had a few faunus maids growing up, Blake. There were a few hints, here and there. This was just the final test."

' _Hints?_ ' Blake had been so careful. She had been trained by the White Fang to disguise herself well, blending in with humans, perfecting their mannerisms, all the better to go by undetected. "Like what?" she finally asked, giving Violet a cold stare that the girl still couldn't see.

"Oh, just the little things. Changing into your sleepwear but refusing to ever take your bow off was the first sign. Aren't your ears uncomfortable under that thing all day?" Violet replied nonchalantly, leaning against Blake and Yang's bed post.

' _They_ _ **were**_ _aching._ ' Blake had hoped to get used to the bow holding her ears in place, but it was always uncomfortable if left on for too long. She reached up with a trembling hand and pulled the bow off, feeling immediate relief after the tension that had been there all day.

"Better?" Violet grinned, tilting her head questioningly.

"Better," Blake admitted quietly, laying the bow down on her bedside, "So what now?"

"I just wanted you to be more comfortable. You can relax around us, ya know?" Violet said, giving her a soft smile, "I'll let you tell them on your own time if you want, but Yang and Ruby are both nice girls. Trust me when I say, their opinion of you won't change in the slightest when they find out."

Blake looked thoughtfully over at Ruby, and bent over her bed to spare an eye down at Yang. Both of the girls were still apparently asleep, none the wiser to the quiet conversation taking place. They _were_ nice girls. Blake had noticed them both getting annoyed with Cardin's attitude, and both had cheered more than was necessary when he'd been so soundly defeated in the arena. ' _Could it be?_ ' Had she lucked out completely, getting a team of humans that really wouldn't treat her differently because of her faunus heritage? A soft smile of her own played across her lips.

"Well, it's up to you. You can trust me not to share your secret with anyone before you do," Violet said, giving Blake's leg a tentative, but soothing touch. Blake felt the tension flood out of her. She believed Violet. How could she not after her fierce displays in defense of the faunus? The girl left, lying down in her own bed across the room and turning away to face the wall. Blake's acute hearing was the only reason she could hear Violet's last words before the girl's head sunk into her pillow.

" _Just give it some thought, okay? You can trust all of us to have your back._ "

Blake stayed up for a while longer, mind going over all the events of the last couple days with a fine toothed comb. None of her teammates actions or words would suggest a secret dislike for the faunus. Could she really trust them, just like that? So soon after initiation, before they'd gotten to know her as a person? Blake smiled longingly despite herself. She really did believe she could trust Violet, and if Violet had faith in Yang and Ruby…

Blake rolled over on to her side. She quietly tucked her bow away and relaxed into her bed, a great calm forcefully smothering her anxiety. She would trust a human... for the first time... in a _long_ time. Sleep came within moments as a gentle purr escaped her chest.

* * *

Yang cracked her eyes open at the sound of the shower turning on through the wall next to her. She stifled a yawn, arching her back and raising her arms above her head where she lay before sitting up a little and looking around the room. Violet was already up, leaning back in one of the chairs with her feet up on the desk, rocking back and forth while she played with her Scroll. She was humming a song that Yang didn't recognize, but every now and then she'd part her lips and half-sing, "I buurrnn!"

Ruby was still sleeping, her body sprawled out across her bed hanging from the ceiling, one leg threatening to dangle off. Yang slipped out of bed and stretched again, this time managing to pop her back in all the right places. Violet glanced her way and gave a hearty, "Good morning, sunshine!" before she turned back to her Scroll and resumed her humming.

"What, no pleasant kick to wake me up in the morning? Don't you love me anymore?" Yang joked breathlessly, throwing a hand up towards her chest while she pretended to be offended.

"You can thank your bunk for that," Violet joked along, shaking her head at the great loss.

Yang placed a hand on Blake's bed above her own and nodded her head solemnly, mouthing an appreciative ' _Thank you_ ' before walking over and pushing Ruby's leg back up on to her bed. The girl awoke with a start, silver eyes glancing Yang's way from underneath black and red bangs. She groaned and flipped over, "Not yet, Yang! I was just about to rescue the princess!"

"Don't you mean prince?" Yang laughed, "I didn't know my sister swung that way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby grumbled into her pillow, "The hero always saves the maiden."

"And what does the fair maiden do in return?"

"Gives the hero a favor or something, I don't know," Ruby sighed and turned back over, looking up at the ceiling, eyes vacant as she tried to recall the dream that had so easily slipped from memory.

"While she's down on both knees-" Violet started but was interrupted as a pillow smacked into the back of her head.

"Don't listen to her, Ruby. The guys are the ones that go down on _one_ knee, to ask for the woman's hand in marriage before they do _anything_ else," Yang flared, eyes flickering red.

"Like kissing?" Ruby asked in horror, eyes going wide.

"Like kissing," Yang agreed. Violet just laughed and resumed rocking back and forth on her chair.

They were interrupted by the door to the bathroom opening. Blake stepped out, clothed in only some shorts and a tank top that showed off her belly. Her hand froze on top of her head, where she had still been toweling off her hair, eyes going wide. Blake looked nervously between the three of them, before her eyes finally settled on Violet. Violet's face was unreadable, but it seemed like some message passed between the two. Blake stepped further out of the bathroom, catching the eye of both Ruby and Yang, expression both serious and determined.

All eyes were on Blake as she stepped within five feet of Yang, eyes glancing off to the side in unease for a final second, before she slowly pulled the towel down off her head, and two cat ears popped up out.

Yang let out an impressed, "Cool," that made Blake's ears seem to perk up, before they flattened as Ruby's shrill young voice rang out from behind Yang, "Ohmygodthey'resocuuuuuuute!"

"Ruby! Calm down a little, okay?" Violet chastised from where she was sitting. Yang noticed that the girl had a small smile on her face, and looked at Blake with… pride? Admiration? Yang couldn't quite place it, but something had passed between the two right before this.

"I mean they _are_ ," Ruby said in her own defense, eyes still staring at Blake's head. Her fingers slowly twitched forward, despite Blake being well out of her reach.

The uncertainty that had been on Blake's face vanished, replaced with a genuine smile that started small and crept outwards, eventually reaching her eyes, as just the tiniest hint of wetness appeared in them but was dashed away when she blinked.

"Alright, Yang. Your turn," Violet said, drawing Yang's attention to her.

"What do you mean, my turn?" Yang asked uncertainly.

"Your deepest, darkest secret. Blake was brave enough to share hers just now, and you're next. Then Ruby, then Blake again, then you again," Violet spun her chair to face away from the three but then straddled it to keep looking their direction.

Yang's eyes narrowed in suspicion, "I can't help but notice your name missing from that list, Ms. Purple Fire Eyes."

"Eh, no secret there. Must have been a trick of the light," Violet dodged the question as she nodded sagely and looked back to her, "Your turn."

"I don't have any deep, dark secrets," Yang replied with a growl. ' _I am still looking for my mother,"_ but that was less a secret and more just something she... didn't tell anybody.

"Really? That's a boring backstory," Violet leaned her chin on her hands, using the backrest of the chair for support, "What about you, Ruby?"

"No-o… I'm pretty normal," Ruby half stuttered, eyes still locked on to Blake's ears. Blake noticed that Ruby was still staring and narrowed her eyes at her, earning her a small ' _eep!_ ' as her hand fell back to her lap.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Blake," Violet sighed, turning to face her, "We'll have to carry the team in the mystery department."

"Ms. Purple fire eyes?" Blake asked, latching on to what Yang had said.

Violet tried to wave it off, "Yang is under the impression that I can blow up Grimm with my mind or something. She just watched too many cartoons growing up."

"I know what I saw," Yang said fiercely, then recounted the important parts of the story to Blake.

Blake stared at Violet's eyes with newfound interest, who's eyes in turn went wide, "Uhh, curiosity killed the cat, Blake."

"But satisfaction brought it back," Blake finished the line, grinning widely.

* * *

The girls presented a united front against Violet, attempting to bore the answer out of her very soul, if they needed to. Violet laughed hesitantly and stood up, "Right, time for a shower."

Ruby blurred across the room and slammed the bathroom door shut.

"How about breakfast?"

Blake appeared in front of the door to the hall, her clone vanishing from where she had stood a second earlier as she locked the door behind her.

"A walk in the gardens, then."

Yang closed the window.

' _Damn, I should have started with the window,_ ' Violet sighed. She sat back down, in clear view of all three other girls. They visibly relaxed, but did not move from their positions. ' _Okay, forcing my hand, here. I need to come up with an excuse. Gotta give myself time to think.'_

"Spill it," Yang demanded.

Violet hesitated, trying to come up with something that would distract them while she could think, and sighed, "It was actually my identical twin?"

"Then how did you recognize us on the first day?" Yang scoffed.

"She told me everything she could before dying from a terminal illness."

"And you have the same name," Ruby inserted.

"I took her name to honor her memory as the older twin."

Blake rolled her eyes in disbelief.

Violet sighed and muttered under her breath, " _I bet it wasn't this bad for Jinn._ " Violet cursed herself immediately after, realizing she'd made a mistake the moment it slipped from her lips, as Blake asked in pure self-satisfaction, "Who's Jinn?"

Violet was annoyed that she had given up such a dangerous name, and shouted out "My dead sister!". She was still trying to by time, but the anger at herself seemed to seep through, causing the girls to believe it was directed at them. The mood grew somber in the room as the trio looked uncertainly between one another.

"Is… was that stuff actually true?" Yang asked quietly, a slight tremble to her words.

Violet stayed silent, thinking it over. ' _Could this work to get them off my back?_ ' She hardly believed the girls would press further if she told them it was the truth. Add a little conviction, a little sadness around the eyes, and end it all sounding heartbroken. She could pull it off. The drawbacks? Violet tried to think of ways that it could go wrong by making the girls believe it, but… she couldn't see a way that it would backfire. If it got them to stop asking, to go back to thinking she was just another normal girl, then it would be worth letting them believe a little white lie...

Violet used the extended silence to her advantage, and made sure to not look any of them in the eye as she spoke, "Y… yes. What you saw was my sister's semblance… she... died, a long time ago." Violet put the weight of countless losses from previous lives into her voice. The real deaths that had left her a broken mess for days afterwards, and stood up to walk to the bathroom. She refused to bite back the sadness, and with a few tears welling in her eyes, pushed past the shocked form of Ruby, "I'll be taking that shower now… I'll meet you guys in class."

Violet sighed as the door closed, leaning back against it as she heard the other girls get changed and eventually shuffle out. Her plan had worked out well enough. There were gaps in logic. How would her _sister's_ name be Jinn if Violet said she'd taken _her_ name? After a performance like that though, she doubted they would bring it up with her again.

But, if it _had_ worked out so well… then why was she still crying?...

* * *

Weiss sat at the cafeteria table in between her teammates, her left dominant hand tasked with scraping food off her plate, and her right hand idly flipping through her history textbook. ' _It really doesn't have any specifics on how General Lagoon was captured in here._ ' Weiss's team was enjoying a comfortable silence as they ate, a rarity when you had Nora on your team. The girl in question was busy vacuuming down a plate full of pancakes, though, and Weiss was loathe to interrupt the peaceful atmosphere.

Movement near the door caught her eye, as three quarters of team Vibrant slumped into the hall, in a silent mood that looked anything _but_ comfortable. They went through the lunch line, and headed in Siren's direction, giving a half-hearted greeting and sitting in their usual spots.

None of them ate. Blake didn't bother touching her tray, Yang absentmindedly pushed around some peas, and Ruby held one cookie in front of her for a minute before shoving it back away from her.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Weiss was forced to ask, as Pyrrha nudged her, getting Weiss to speak for the group. ' _Why me?_ '

"We did something awful," Ruby replied quietly, giving her cookie a death glare.

"It still doesn't make sen-" Yang began but was firmly cut off by Ruby..

"Stop."

"But-" Yang tried to speak up.

"No, Yang! You didn't see her face. She was _crying_. Like, _really_ crying," Ruby said furiously, cutting Yang off again. The older sister drooped, setting down her fork and leaning against her fist, propped up by the table.

"Are you talking about Violet? What did you guys _do_?" Weiss asked cautiously.

"We… forced her to talk about something she didn't want to," Blake replied sadly, one hand subconsciously messing with the bow atop her head.

"And you made her cry?" Weiss asked vehemently, staring across the group from one person to the other.

"We didn't think it would go down like that!" Yang said angrily, defending herself, "She's always so happy or playful. I didn't even think Violet _could_ be sad."

"The saddest people are often the best at hiding it, even from themselves," Ren said to no one in particular. He gave a small smile to Nora as her hand reached up and gripped his shoulder, the two sharing a look that Weiss couldn't hope to understand.

"We... don't exactly feel great about it," Yang admitted.

' _You don't say,_ ' Weiss thought. As if their entire demeanor didn't shout ' _regret!_ '

Her next words were cut off as a startled gasp echoed through the dining hall, followed by the clattering of a tray laden with food that was sent skittering across the floor, its contents flying off every which way.

"Watch where you're going!" Cardin shouted down at the rabbit faunus on the ground in front of him. For good measure, his foot drew back and he kicked what was left of the girl's drink into her, splattering milk across her uniform and face before turning to walk off.

"CARDIN WINCHESTER!" Weiss shouted, standing up from the bench, face flushed with indignation as she stormed directly up to him, staring up into his sneering face.

"Why does a _Schnee_ care if I put a stupid faunus in its place?" he taunted angrily.

Weiss's hand twitched towards her hip. She desperately wanted to stab him right then, but she didn't have Myrtenaster, so instead, Weiss calmed herself down enough to speak coherently and with as much acidity as she could possibly muster. "I'm only going to warn you, _once_. Do you see the group at the table behind me?" Weiss waited for him to glance that direction before continuing, "Every. _Single_. One of us, is _stronger_ than you. If you do something like this again, we will make the next four years of your time at this school _hell_. There are _seven_ of us. We could challenge you in combat class, _every day_ , and _never_ get in trouble for the pain we would cause you."

Cardin's face paled as he looked between Weiss and the group at the table. He hesitated, starting to open his mouth and let out some false bravado, but cut off as Nora, Ren, Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Pyrrha stood up at once, each directing their deadliest glare in his direction.

He turned fearful eyes to Weiss, shakily nodded once, and left the dining hall.

Weiss waited until he was gone before turning her attention down to the faunus that was still lying on the ground, dumbstruck by the entire event. Weiss reached a hand down, offering it to the girl, and she took it, letting Weiss help pull her to her feet. Weiss pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and gave it to the girl, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let me escort you back to your dorm," Weiss said calmly, using the hand on the girl's shoulder to guide her past the mess and towards the dining hall doors. The girl let Weiss walk her away, and then took the lead slightly as Weiss had no idea where her dorm room actually was.

"I'm sorry that happened," Weiss said sadly, breaking the silence a minute after they left the cafeteria.

"It wasn't your fault," the girl giggled. Her ears raised off her head a little at the comment, though.

"My name is Weiss," she went on, "May I ask your name?"

"Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina."

"It's nice to meet you, Velvet. If Cardin _ever_ gives you trouble again, even the smallest comment at your expense, I want you to come tell me," Weiss's voice burned with a newly discovered ferocity that she hadn't known she was capable of.

"I'm… surprised that a Schnee would help me," Velvet admitted timidly.

Weiss's breath caught in her throat, "I'm… more than just a name."

"I can see that now," Velvet agreed, directing them down another hallway.

"Do you… have to go through that a lot?" Weiss asked, now the one with timidity in her voice.

Velvet just nodded, but at Weiss's expression, clarified it for her, "Not many people are as outright racist as Cardin, but there are... enough. And I can't hide my faunus trait as easily as a lot of others. I've been forced to deal with people like Cardin my whole life." It was the way she said it so casually, making the abuse sound like such a common occurrence, that tore at Weiss's heart strings. They were getting to the end of the hallway. Velvet's steps picked up, likely not wanting to waste time getting out of the wet uniform.

Weiss let her arm go as Velvet used her Scroll to unlock the door at the end of the hall. She opened it, but paused, one foot already inside, and looked back at Weiss.

"Thank you, Weiss. I don't think I said that yet."

Weiss felt a warmth spread through her, and nodded, "You're welcome, Velvet." The door clicked shut as Velvet stepped inside, leaving Weiss to stand outside and reflect on what had transpired. _Weiss Schnee_ had helped a faunus, and, frankly speaking… it felt good.

Weiss left, her footsteps feeling lighter than they had in a long time.

* * *

"I don't like how we left things with Violet," Blake sighed at the table, looking between the other two girls that had a hand in their current depression.

"Well, we still have fifteen minutes before class… Should we go apologize?" Yang asked the group.

The other two nodded in wordless agreement. They set off back to their room, arriving with plenty of time to spare before classes would have a chance to begin. Ruby knocked, and when she didn't hear a reply, unlocked the door and opened it slowly. The three stepped inside, ready to beg for forgiveness.

Violet wasn't there.


	8. Hopeless

She had to get away from Remnant to clear her head. Her thoughts kept drawing her back to a place that didn't exist, not there, anyway. A memory that had been buried a long time ago pulled her to the spot, as She stepped between the fabric of space, color and light receded as her vision went black, only to spring back into existence a moment later.

She stood in the middle of a large tropical valley. The sun beat down on top of the trees, pushing rays through the gaps of the canopy above. The entire place was overrun with vegetation. She knew this place well, though, and managed to appear on the only cobbled path that existed there. A low wind blew through the trees, ruffling her hair in greeting as her shoes on the cobblestone created the only sound for miles around made by something other than wildlife.

The trees in this place were tall, planted hundreds of years ago, in the time after the great war. She had fought in the war, and remembered, as she stepped into the clearing that marked the mass graveyard for all those that had fallen… she had died in the war.

She had not been alone, though. Her friends had been there with her, her companions. Through thick and thin. Years, they had spent, fighting on the front lines against an evil that threatened to take over the land. Sharing laughs, sharing food, at times even sharing a bed, if only to distract themselves from the pain in the world around them.

She sat down against the only gravestone. A large marble slab, etched with the names of thousands and towering above her. A solitary tear curled down her cheek. This had been the place. The time when she had created her first rule. Her secret rule. The rule she herself had eventually forgotten.

' _Don't get attached._ '

They all died, eventually. Whether it was an accident, from violence, disease, or old age. They never stayed with her, always leaving her in the end. Alone. Lost. Unloved. A wandering soul desperately trying to find a new place to call home. She could recreate them. She had tried that, but their deaths had haunted her every time she looked into their eyes. Every time, she would see their bodies bent, broken, lifeless.

Even still, She had never been able to keep to that rule for long. She was still a being that desired those attachments, and avoiding that had led her to boredom, so instead, another rule had taken its place.

' _Never look back._ '

And She had broken that rule. In her desperate ploy to avoid telling her team the truth, she had looked back at the years of sadness, the bodies left in her wake. It had all caught up to her at once, catching her off guard with the wave of ignored emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the monument, and let the feelings wash over her. But she was shocked to realize that with the sadness, and regret, came the years of happiness along with it, outweighing her despair. Thousands of years worth of memories of friendships and love crashed down on her like a landslide, filling the emptiness that threatened to consume her. Despite herself, a smile played across her lips. She sighed raggedly, even her breath itself quavering under the dual onslaught. She needed a new rule, one that better encompassed the feelings she felt. One that held true to the memories She had.

' _Enjoy it while it lasts._ '

* * *

Yang was sitting in her seat uncomfortably shifting back and forth. No matter what Ruby said, Violet's story _didn't_ make sense. The way Violet had so easily recalled events, mentioning things that she doubted some 'sister' would think important, like the wagon, or how Yang herself had been staring at the beowulf just as hard, weren't details she could just look past to accept Violet's lie. Ruby was adamant though, fiercely denying Yang any line of questioning when she tried to bring it up. Her sister had pointed out that no matter what the truth was, it had brought Violet to tears. 'Do you _want_ her to cry!?' Ruby had reprimanded her, glaring with cold silver eyes.

Yang sighed as she looked towards the classroom door like she had so many times already. No, she didn't want Violet to be upset. She didn't like being lied to, though. Her father and uncle had spent her entire life avoiding the truth when it came to Yang's mother. Getting just her _name_ out of them had taken _years_. Violet's secret wasn't like the ones being kept from her by her family, though. It was a secret that had saved her life and Ruby's, at a time when they'd had no chance of escaping with their lives without it.

Yang stared down at her desk, thought it over once more, and decided to just let it go.

The door creaked open seconds before the bell rang, Violet slipping in quietly and heading over towards them. Her expression was unreadable, but Yang could see the small tear tracks left on her cheeks. Professor Port waited until she was seated next to the rest of her team, next to Yang, before beginning his lecture.

Yang leaned over to whisper to Violet, "Where'd you go? We looked everywhere for you while we could."

"I took that walk in the gardens," Violet replied with a single sad laugh, also keeping her voice down to avoid Port's ire.

"Well, I'm sorry for what we did. I… don't believe what you said, and I know you don't either," Yang whispered slowly, trying to get her thoughts in order, "But… I won't ask anymore. Not if it's something that makes you that upset. You can tell us, though. When you're ready."

Violet smiled lightly to Yang as her only reply, and with the sleeve on her hand, wiped away at the tear tracks left on her face. They sat through Port's lecture, a silence fallen between the entire team as they took comfort in each other's presence.

* * *

The rest of the week was business as usual from then on. Violet cracked jokes, if only to keep their spirits up and show there were no hard feelings between her and the group. She accepted Blake and Ruby's apologies. Blake was particularly hard on herself, realizing she had tried to force Violet into talking about something only minutes after Violet had been so caring in letting Blake reveal her secret when she felt ready. She didn't hold anything against her, though.

And so they found themselves in the last combat class of the week, a happy bunch, readily chatting with each other and team Siren as they watched some of the other fights play out. Violet looked across the group with a secretive smile. She hadn't yet used her challenge for the week, and was debating with herself on who she wanted to use it on. Violet's eyes focused on one person in particular, and she set her jaw in firm determination.

When the fight ended on stage, Ms. Goodwitch announced the winner and stepped back into the middle of the stage, "That concludes the planned bouts for the day. If anyone would like to issue a challenge, please make it known."

Violet stood up, getting the room, and Glynda's, attention. She turned towards her team, then let her eyes drift past dramatically, settling on a pair of beautiful green eyes, "Pyrrha Nikos! I challenge you!" Violet shouted in mock seriousness, a smile breaking through the facade. Pyrrha smiled back and stood, nodding her acceptance. The two left for the shared locker room as Goodwitch began pulling their aura readings up on to the large display for the entire class to see. Violet could hear excited murmurs from the room behind her, as both she and Pyrrha entered the locker room.

"This oughta be fun," Violet laughed, reaching her locker and beginning to switch into her combat outfit, "Don't go easy on me. I want the full Pyrrha Nikos experience."

"You want me to go Full Nikos?" Pyrrha gasped, giving Violet a mournful look, as if she was thinking about what flowers to leave on her gravestone.

"I want to fight Pyrrha _freakin'_ Nikos," Violet corrected, turning back to her locker to grab Zenith.

Pyrrha hefted Milo, inspecting it as she spoke, "Is _that_ my name, now?"

"God given, I'm afraid," Violet grinned.

Pyrrha sighed, "As if 'The Invincible Girl' wasn't bad enough already."

"Who knows, maybe after today they won't be able to call you that anymore," Violet smirked, giving Pyrrha a reassuring pat on the back as they both exited the locker room.

They took up positions across from each other. The crowd grew silent as the fighters both settled into their respective stances, faces lit by the spotlights above and the screen off to their side, now displaying both their aura readings. Both at max capacity. Violet _knew_ how fast Pyrrha was in her fights. She had a speed and versatility that Violet couldn't hope to match on the best of days, but Violet had one trick up her sleeve, reserved for when things started to get too desperate.

The buzzer sounded, announcing the start of the fight, but neither fighter rushed forward immediately. They began to circle each other slowly, keeping an eye on the other's defensive stance as they moved. Violet could only sigh, Pyrrha's was perfect. She could see no openings in the girl's stance, no dip of the shield when she stepped. Pyrrha was firmly resolute, an impregnable wall of shield and sword that dared any to approach.

Pyrrha's eyes had caught on to something, though. And with a speed Violet still hadn't been expecting, flashed forward towards her defense. What came after was a series of swipes, lunges, gun fire, and shield bashes that left Violet reeling, barely capable of withstanding the ferocity that gave her no time to counter, no time to do anything except react. Violet's eyes burned in concentration, keeping track of every little movement, every twinge that betrayed Pyrrha's intentions the millisecond before they happened. It was all she could do to not fall beneath the blows.

Pyrrha finally let up, backing off and giving Violet a moment to recover. She was smiling, they _both_ were. This was the experience she had been looking for when she invited Pyrrha to spar with her. _This_ was Pyrrha Nikos.

' _Guess I'm not going to be able to hold out on that trick,_ ' Violet smiled as she thought it.

Violet didn't betray her intentions. One moment she was standing, arms slack. The next she had removed almost the entire weight from her body and Zenith, letting her flash forward as Pyrrha had, her muscles exhilarated by the lack of anything holding them back. Pyrrha brought her guard up, but was surprised as her movements became slow, lethargic. That first moment of surprise allowed Violet to get the first hit in, Zenith dipping above Pyrrha's shield in a downward lunge. Violet continued the onslaught, but after the first couple hits, Pyrrha's defense managed to recover enough to keep Violet at bay. Her sword was slower, her shield heavy, as Violet had taken the entire mass she'd removed from herself, and dumped it into Pyrrha's equipment. That wasn't enough to pull a full 180 on the fight, though. Pyrrha was a natural born fighter, and with the increased mass to her weapons, was having an easier time blocking the strikes by the greatsword, even when Violet did let its entire weight return. Violet backed off as Pyrrha had done, giving them both a chance to recover.

Pyrrha regarded Violet with a newfound respect. While it hadn't spelled the end for her, it was a good strategy. It kept Pyrrha from retaliating, kept her on the defense instead, and saved Violet from the sheer difference in agility that Pyrrha held over her opponents.

Violet grew wary as Pyrrha's smile grew darker, a curl to her lips that spoke of some nasty surprise she was ready to unleash. Violet's guard came up, Zenith held steadily between herself and Pyrrha. Violet couldn't help but notice the dark glow that started to emanate from Pyrrha's weapons. Understanding flickered through her mind, even as Pyrrha did the same across the arena floor.

Pyrrha's speed had returned. Her movements aided by her own semblance, using the additional power and strength, along with the weight Violet had added to her weapons, against her. Violet stopped as many hits as she could, but she was severely outmatched and outgunned. Pyrrha knocked Violet's guard up with her shield, slipping in a strike across her abdomen. Zenith came crashing down in an attempt to trade for the blow, Pyrrha deflected it to the side with her own sword, letting the greatsword slam into the ground next to her. Pyrrha took the moment to spin backwards, dipped as she turned back towards Violet, and _hurled_ her shield directly into Violet's chest.

Violet staggered backward, the extra weight of the shield, given by her own body, causing far more damage than it would have otherwise. The breath was violently expelled from her lungs on impact, but she refused to let go of Zenith, dragging it back with her as she stumbled. In that moment, Violet's semblance dropped, concentration broken by the heavy blow, and Pyrrha wasted no time capitalizing on that fact. With a final series of strikes that Violet couldn't hope to dodge, she fell back on to the ground, breath ragged and chest heaving after the entire exchange.

"And that's the match," Glynda Goodwitch's voice boomed from somewhere nearby. Violet glanced up at the aura meters on display and sighed. Her own was in the red, and Pyrrha's had only dipped slightly past eighty percent.

Pyrrha stepped up next to her, Milo and her shield returned to her back, holding a hand down to Violet. She took it gratefully, drawing Pyrrha into a hug as she stood that surprised the girl.

"That was _amazing_!" Violet excitedly announced, pulling back and giving Pyrrha a look of pure respect and admiration. Pyrrha's cheeks heated up at the attention, but there was still a self-satisfied smile on her lips. Together, the two left the sounds of the cheering crowd to return to the locker room and change.

As they changed, Pyrrha turned to Violet, face thoughtful, "You know, if you alternated between giving my weapons more weight while I moved to defend, and removing that weight when your strikes were about to hit, you could have overwhelmed me with your attacks."

Violet shook her head, "I've tried that before. My semblance is limited, in a way. It causes a strain that's hard to describe. Removing the mass from items is easiest. It's a little bit harder with people, but only because they weigh much more than the average weapon. Adding mass to something where it doesn't belong is the most fatiguing, but it's only the initial effort that takes so much. Once that mass has been established, maintaining it becomes easier."

"So you would have tired yourself out faster by trying to switch between the two?" Pyrrha asked, if only for clarification.

"Yeah. I could maybe last a minute doing that, but the concentration required is monumental in comparison, and hardly worth the effort when it will leave me exhausted in so short a time."

"Why not remove my weight? Your blows would stagger me more, and my own would have less of an effect on you."

Violet just shook her head again, "I can't force my semblance on to people, not if they have their aura still, anyway. The instant you felt your own weight dipping, your aura would help you fight against it. You can _let_ it happen, but I doubt you'd do that while we were in the middle of a fight."

Pyrrha nodded along as she finished changing and placed her weapons back in her locker. The two exited the locker room to find their teams waiting for them. The rest of the class and Ms. Goodwitch had left already, leaving the group to excitedly talk in earnest about the fight while they walked back to their dorms.

"Nice try, Vi," Yang laughed, putting a reassuring arm around her shoulders, "But next time, maybe choose someone you have a chance against."

"Like you?" Violet smirked.

"No, _I'll_ kick your ass," Yang squeezed Violet's shoulder playfully.

"I'll take you on!" Nora grinned from Violet's other side.

Violet thought about trying the same trick against Nora and paled. No, making Magnhild hit harder would _not_ be in her best interests. With how much of a beast Nora was in her fights, she doubted it would slow the girl down in the slightest. Ruby and Weiss were busy praising Pyrrha, the girl in question shying away from their affections with rosy cheeks. Ren and Blake took up the rear, content to watch the back and forth tirade of chatter from the sidelines. They arrived outside their dorms, and were giving their farewells before Nora interrupted.

"Guys, we can't just go to bed now! We just finished our first week at Beacon! We should celebrate!" Nora yelled energetically, flexing her arms up to try and get the rest of them pumped.

The others glanced among each other. Ren shrugged, Yang grinned, Blake scowled while she stared at the book she'd been wanting to read. The general consensus was in agreement, though, and half an hour later, they were all dressed in more casual attire, riding a bullhead down to Vale to celebrate their first week at Beacon.

"So… where are we going?" Ruby peeped out, looking around her fellow students.

"I know a place," Yang said with a grin, "We'll just have to sneak Ruby in."

"Is this a place dad wouldn't want me to go?" Ruby asked, eyes narrowed at Yang, who put her hands up in a placating gesture.

"Hey, Ruby, ya gotta grow up some time! Don't you want to try some adult things while under the supervision of your loving sister? Better me than on your own some day, right? Or with Uncle _Qrow_ ," Yang managed to get out, but even she was struggling with the farce.

"We'll corrupt you yet, Little Red," Violet grinned devilishly.

"No one is corrupting my innocent little sister!" Yang growled, bawling her hands into fists before forcibly calming herself, "We're just gonna… show her the ropes, that's all."

"Works for me," Violet said with a shrug, turning the question over to the rest of the group.

A myriad of shrugs and nods silently agreed to the proposal.

"We _are_ going to get pancakes after," Nora amended.

The group wound their way through busy streets. It was late, but it was also a Friday, so there were plenty of people out and about. They arrived outside a large brick building after twenty minutes of walking. Violet looked up at the familiar sight, large double doors, windows high up towards the top, letting out a pulsating mixture of reds, blues, golds, and white.

Two guards dressed in black suits with red ties stood outside, carding anyone that tried to enter. The line was small, but it was still early enough that the club had likely opened recently for the night. Their group joined the queue behind a few others, the line slowly moving as they checked every ID.

Ruby's eyes were wide, and she leaned over to tug on Yang's sleeve, pulling her down to whisper in her ear. Violet was right behind them, close enough to overhear the girl's panicked words.

"I beat up these guys before Beacon. That's how I got in," Ruby admitted to her sister, who looked up thoughtfully at the guards at the door.

"Don't worry, sis. These guys aren't much of a threat. Just keep your Scroll out with your Beacon ID on it. They won't give us trouble," Yang said it with such confidence that Ruby immediately complied. Ruby paused as she was pulling out her Scroll, "Wait. Isn't this the place where you-"

Yang cut her off as they reached the front of the line, stepping in front of Ruby and flashing her own Beacon ID with a playful smile. The two bouncers recoiled, hands going to their weapons, but one look at the group standing behind Yang holding out seven more Beacon IDs told them that was a _bad_ idea.

"The boss isn't gonna like this," the one on the left said gruffly.

"Calm down, boys. I'm not here to start anything~" Yang said with a smirk. They looked at each other through red tinted sunglasses and shook their heads, each pushing a door open to let the group pass.

The lights washed over them all as they entered, the pulsating revealed to be from strobe lights on the ceiling, spinning in place to wash the dance floor in a dizzying display of color. Next was the sound, nearly deafening at first until their ears got used to it. Some better than others, as Blake raised her hands up to her head and pushed her ears down beneath her bow, looking all the while like she regretted not staying at the dorm with her books. Books were quiet, just how she liked them.

There were already quite a few patrons inside. Many of them took up the seating at the bar, but there were more at the tables around the sides of the dance floor. A few people were dancing, but most hadn't drank enough liquid courage to step out on to the floor just yet. Violet saw several of the nearby guards in similar suits visibly tense when they saw Yang walking across the dance floor to the bar, but thought better than to attack her.

' _She kicked their ass the_ _ **first**_ _time._ '

Yang pulled up one of the bar stools and sat down, looking down the bar to get Junior's attention. He froze, mid poor, and spilled excess booze across the counter top before catching himself. Junior cursed, wiping it up with a rag, and adjusted his tie as he walked over to Yang.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon again, Blondie," Junior grumbled, standing a few feet out of Yang's reach. His eyes checked her wrists, and he relaxed slightly when her gauntlets were nowhere to be seen.

"We're just here to have some fun. Blow off some steam from studying at _Beacon_ ," Yang replied, putting emphasis on the last word to draw Junior's attention past her. Junior's confidence wavered, but he turned to eye Yang up and down.

"As long as you don't destroy my bar again, and pay for your drinks."

"Of course. One strawberry sunrise, if you don't mind," Yang smiled, setting her card down on the table. Junior shrugged and took her card, mixing the drink and handing both back to her a minute later.

"And your friends?" Junior inquired, sparing a glance their way. The rest finally moved into action, the tense air having dissipated. They all got their drinks of choice. Violet bought a strawberry sunrise for herself, ' _Always wanted to try one_ ', and for Ruby. It had a surprising kick to it, but was quickly taken over by the delicious after taste. Ruby blanched on her first sip, eyes closing at the momentary intensity before warming up to it when the aftertaste hit.

"Take it slow, sis. That's the only one you're getting for the night. I don't need to carry my darling little sister back to the dorm because it turned out she was the world's worst lightweight," Yang warned, keeping a close eye on Ruby like she'd said she would.

Ruby paled and looked down at her drink, taking care to only sip from it every few minutes or so. Once they all had their drinks, they moved off to a table, arranging themselves around it at random. Violet ended up between Nora and Ren, and decided to take the opportunity to finally talk with the two in earnest.

"So, where are you two from?"

"Oooooh, here and there. Me and Renny travelled all over the place before we came to Beacon!" Nora excitedly replied. She had ordered a drink similar to Yang's, fruity but with a kick to it judging by her expression each time she drank it. Ren only gave a 'hmm' of agreement, busy with his own drink.

Violet asked them about some of their travels, all of which Nora was more than happy to share. Ren would interject a correction here or there. The correct name of a village, how many Grimm they had actually been fighting, how much they had actually been paid. It was all rather amusing when she listened to the way they played off each other so well. ' _Ren has the patience of a saint._ '

Yang had pulled Weiss, Ruby, Blake, and Pyrrha out to the dance floor, drink still in hand. She was heartily egging them on, trying to get them to dance with her. Blake was the most resolute of the bunch and stood to the sidelines with her arms crossed, but Yang was having none of it, and grabbed her hand to pull her out on to the floor with her. Blake still didn't dance, but a small smile threatened to overpower her scowl. Yang's antics got the better of her, and she finally put in the effort of at least nodding her head to the music.

Violet turned back to the new story that Nora was telling, diverting her full attention to it. With that, and the music pumping over head, she failed to notice the first couple shouts coming from just outside the front door. The doors were flung open, hitting the walls with a resounding slam, before a familiar voice yelled out over the music.

"Junior! I've come to take you in!"

Violet's head slammed down on to the table a second later. ' _What the hell are you doing here, Jaune!?_ '

The boy himself was causing a ruckus. He stood next to the open doors still, eyes darting around the establishment as he tried to track down the goon's boss.

"Not another damn blonde!" Junior yelled in annoyance from his place behind the bar. He reached down beneath it and picked up his massive club, nodding to several of his guards that pulled out their weapons and paced in Jaune's direction.

Jaune nervously glanced around at the guards pushing towards him and pulled up his shield, Crocea Mors raised at his side in the worst combat stance Violet had ever seen aside from children play acting as huntsman.

' _Just ignore it, Violet. It's not your fight. You don't owe him anything,_ ' Violet thought to herself, turning her back to the commotion. Nora had stopped her story, both hers and Ren's eyes were focused on what was happening. It looked like the ones on the dance floor hadn't quite noticed anything yet, they were too busy with their own shenanigans and further away from it all.

"Should we help him?" Ren asked seriously, likely able to tell just as easily as Violet had that Jaune was _not_ a capable fighter.

"He's the one breaking in and causing havoc," Violet pointed out, still not turning around as the sounds of steel on steel rang out across the clubroom. The rest of their group finally noticed once the sounds of fighting grew loud enough. Their eyes gazed towards the door with uncertainty, none of them stepping in yet.

A cry of pain got Violet moving before she could think about it, as Jaune was struck across the back with Junior's club, sending him crashing into a table that slid five feet across the floor. Chairs went flying off to the sides, startling several other patrons that had to dodge out of their way or risk getting smacked in the shins. Jaune groaned and slipped off the table, lying face down, his shield and Crocea Mors in loose outstretched hands. Violet took the opportunity to take them off him, much to his distress.

"Shut up or I'll hurt you worse than they did," Violet lashed out in annoyance. She held up a hand to the approaching Junior and his cronies.

"Friend of yours?" Junior asked warily, eyeing the two of them and then the rest of the Beacon students that had pushed forward through the crowd by then.

"No, just some dumb kid that thinks he's a hero. One who is _far_ past his bedtime," Violet made sure to put all the irritation she felt into her words. Junior took the hint and backed off, content to let the students deal with it. Violet shifted the shield into sheath form and put the sword into it before tossing it to someone behind her. She didn't care who caught it.

Jaune had recovered enough to see it happen, and jumped up, "Hey! Give that back!"

"Not until you've proven to me that you're responsible enough to have it," Violet replied heatedly, giving him a glare that brooked no arguments. Even still, he tried to step towards where his weapon had gone. Violet reached over and grabbed him by the shoulder, using her semblance to remove as much of Jaune's weight as she could, before picking him up bodily and holding him over her head. ' _Good thing you don't have aura, 'ey Jauny boy?_ '

Jaune struggled in surprise but couldn't break free as Violet carried him out the front door. She could hear the rest of her friends following along. ' _Ruin our night, why don't ya?_ ' Violet was half tempted to throw him on to the ground, but instead just let him drop into a stumble that still nearly ended with him off his feet.

She crossed her arms and glared at him, "Why the hell would you try something so foolish?"

"Hey, come on! I'm trying to get into Beacon! I heard about a girl that beat up some thugs, so they let her in two years early!" Jaune whined, eyes looking past Violet back towards the club.

"So you decided to call out Junior in what amounts to basically his base of operations, untrained, and with no back up, hoping to what… get lucky?" Violet mocked him, trying to drive home how unthought out his plan was, "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Becoming a huntsman is my dream! You wouldn't understand!"

Violet laughed and turned back to the rest of the group, only to find that most of them didn't share her mirth. ' _Eh, whatever. They just don't know how useless he is. How he_ _ **fails**_ _all of you._ ' Instead she turned back and raised an eyebrow at him, " _I go_ to Beacon. As do the rest of them."

Jaune's mouth gaped, and he looked among them, eyes going wide, "But then, can you put in a good word for me?"

Violet placed a hand across her face and shook her head slowly, "You aren't ready for this. You aren't ready for any of this. Go home. Go train. You should try again next year. I promise that by then, you might at least be able to match up against a member of team Cardinal."

Jaune's eyes were downcast, as no one stepped forward to offer him their support. Violet felt a little bad, despite herself. It wasn't easy hearing your dreams were only that, dreams. It had to be done though. He really _wasn't_ ready for any of what was to come.

"Do you have a place for the night?" Violet sighed, getting his eyes back on her. From the look he gave, the answer was no. Violet grabbed him again, not picking him up this time, just steering him away from the club as they walked away.

The others stuck behind, talking amongst themselves in whispers, as Violet and Jaune took the lead a dozen feet ahead of them. Once they were far enough away from the club, she let go of his forearm, but spared him a glare that kept him walking next to her in submission.

"What a night," Violet muttered. Jaune gave her a sideways glance but didn't speak.

Violet led them in silence the rest of the way. She knew where she was going, but didn't bother to clue anyone else in. After half an hour of walking, they reached the residential district. Ten minutes after that, and they were standing outside the gate of a large two story mansion. The hedges were trimmed into squares that blocked the garden from view. Short brick walls topped with metal rods, sharpened on top, wrapped around the perimeter of the hedge. Violet stepped towards the side of the gate, pressing a button that buzzed loudly. A few seconds later, a voice could be heard yelling "Coming! Coming!", followed by the appearance of an older gentleman, in his sixties, that peered at his side of the screen, looking at the group of disheveled teens through the camera affixed to the wall.

His eyes widened in surprise, "Ah! Ms. Regalia! A pleasure to see you ma'am! What may I do for you?"

"This hoodlum needs a place to stay for the night before he heads back home tomorrow morning. I was hoping we might provide him a room and some food until then."

The gates buzzed open, swinging on their own, "Yes, of course Ma'am. I'll see you inside!"

Violet grabbed Jaune by the arm again, his face showing the bafflement he must have felt as she led him through the garden, and up the stone steps to the front door. The old man was already at it by the time they arrived, holding it open welcomingly, other arm outstretched to gesture into the room. The rest of team Vibrant and Siren followed wordlessly.

"Wow… I mean, you said your family was rich, but…" Yang said, looking around the brightly lit entrance hall. A set of stairs led up to the second floor, carpeted in a deep maroon with gold trim, the railings smooth marble. The only one not staring around wide-eyed was Weiss, the only other one used to this sort of thing.

Violet wrinkled her nose at Jaune, finally catching that the boy smelled like he hadn't showered since arriving in Vale over a week ago, "Mr. Slate, please see that our guest is given a bath and a change of clothes. He looks like he might be close enough in size to Peri, so just use some of his."

Violet looked around the group and sighed, "And have one of the cooks make us all pancakes," She looked at the glee on Nora's face, "A _lot_ of pancakes."

The old man nodded and left the group, taking Jaune with him and ignoring the young man's protests. His struggling was weak, at best. Violet led them to the dining room, since aside from the study it was the only place with enough seating to accommodate all of them. Violet pulled out a chair for Weiss, which she gladly accepted, while the rest chose their own spots.

Ruby was scooting in excitedly when she finally broke the silence, "Wow, Violet! Your house is amazing! Are your parents home? I wanna meet them!"

"My family lives in Atlas, Ruby. I told you that already. This is just another place they own and pay to have maintained for when they're visiting Vale."

"But it's so…." Blake started before trailing off.

"Big?" Violet tried to fill in.

"Awesome!" Nora shouted, "You can have people make pancakes whenever you want!"

It was Violet's turn to get a little red in the cheeks for once.

"Why become a huntress when you could have lived so peacefully?" Ren asked, surprising Violet. ' _Right. Two orphans that barely had a full belly their entire lives._ '

"Money isn't everything. Weiss's family has even more than mine, yet she's also becoming a huntress. We all have our reasons for the things we do, Ren. Even if they aren't always plain to see."

Ren nodded in understanding, then repeated his question with a little variation, "So why _do_ _you_ want to become a huntress?"

Violet thought over her answer carefully before she spoke, "There are... people I want to protect, and I need the skills to do that."

"Sounds like me and Renny!" Nora chirped up from her place next to him. Ren nodded, accepting her answer along with Nora's outburst.

"You guys have fun, I need to go do something. Be right back!" Violet excused herself to head up to the room she stayed in whenever her family had visited Vale, stepping in through her door quietly and closing it behind her before turning the lights on. Violet headed over to her desk, where her safe sat underneath, and withdrew what she wanted from it. She placed it in her pocket and left, making sure to turn the lights back off as she did.

When she returned, the pancakes had been served, and Jaune was awkwardly sitting off to one side, in new loose fitting clothes with a plate of pancakes in front of him. It looked like he hadn't eaten in a while either, as he was digging into the plate nearly as voraciously as Nora. Violet let them eat, having a couple pancakes of her own while she waited for them all to finish.

With a few burps on Nora's part, and some giggling at that by Ruby, their meal reached its end. Violet went over and sat down next to Jaune, catching his attention. She pulled out the object from her safe and presented it to him, as his eyes looked at her in confusion.

"This is a lien mastercard, tied to one of _my_ accounts. When you leave here tomorrow, I want you to go home, and use the money on this to pay for a tutor. One on one practice will do you a lot more good than joining a class full of other students. This card is to be used _only_ to pay for that tutor, and for your trip home. I will keep an eye on the account, and I'll know if you break your promise. Do I make myself _clear_?"

Jaune stared at her dumbly, looking back and forth between her eyes and the card, before a hand slowly reached up and took it from hers, "I… I promise. I won't use it on anything else. Only to get home, and pay for a teacher."

"Good," Violet gave him a smile and touched his shoulder reassuringly, "You can give it back to me when you get into Beacon next year. Failure is not an option."

' _If Beacon is even still standing in a year._ '

Tears brimmed at the corners of Jaune's eyes, and he turned away, whispering at the floor, "Thank you, god."

Violet smacked him on the back of the head, "God has nothing to do with this. Your fate is in your _own_ hands, Jaune. It's your job to make the most of it. This is just a little push in the right direction. Don't forget that, or your promise." Jaune's eyes firmed, face growing determined.

"Now, it's about time we all got back to our dorms," Violet stated, looking back at the other students. Ruby yawned into her hand in agreement, and they all excused themselves. Violet was sure to thank the old man as she left, "Oh! Who has the sword?" Pyrrha held it out, and Violet had her give it to Mr. Slate. "See that this is returned to him in the morning, would you?"

"As you wish, Ma'am."

The group left together, headed in the direction of the bullheads that would take them back up to Beacon. All of them were at various stages of lethargy after the meal, so it was slow going.

"That was really nice, what you did for him," Pyrrha spoke up after a time.

Violet sighed, "I couldn't help myself. He was just so…"

"Weak?" Yang tried to fill in.

"Hopeless," Violet corrected quietly.

They made mild small talk as they boarded the bullhead and set off back to Beacon. Violet didn't jump in on the conversation, content to just listen while the others chatted about other things. The bullhead landed, they walked off the platforms back to the dorm building, up to their shared hallway, and excused themselves for the night.

Violet climbed in bed immediately, and laid her head down to rest.

That night, she watched over Jaune.


	9. Meeting the Family

Violet woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. After watching over Jaune, she had zipped over to Atlas again and confirmed that both her parents were home, checking her father's meeting board for the schedule there. The entire day was open, as he said it would be when she left. Her father had wanted to be available at any time of the day so that Violet could call to catch up with them after her first week at Beacon.

Talking to her family again… ' _I'll admit, I am a little homesick._ '

Her teammates were already awake ahead of her. Blake must have been the first, she was already showered and clothed, minus her bow, sitting up in her bed to catch up on the reading she had missed last night. The shower was running, and Ruby was sitting at one of the desks, still in her pajamas.

"Good morning," Violet said heartily, standing up from her bed to stretch out. She raised her arms up towards the ceiling and bent backwards, getting a satisfying series of ' _pops_ '.

They each repeated the words back to her in their own way. Blake, without looking up from her book and with no emotion in it, and Ruby, mumbled while half asleep at her desk, head laid down across her arms.

"Where's the spirit, ladies? Today's going to be a good day!" Violet cheered, pulling open her dresser and going through her outfits. Really, she only had one left, since she'd only packed to last the week. ' _I still need to go shopping today, too._ '

"Ah, yes. A day all to myself with my books. It _will_ be a lovely day," Blake replied back evenly, still not looking up.

"Sure, alone, aside from when we head over to the CCT, that is."

"What are we going to the tower for?" Ruby muttered, eyes cracking open to look at her questioningly.

"My my, Ruby. I thought you would have been more excited to get exactly what you wanted," Violet scoffed lightly.

Her head rose from the desk at that, confused, "What I wanted?"

"To meet my parents, of course. You asked if you could last night, remember?"

Ruby's eyes went wide and she jumped up, "Really? Oh, this is gonna be so cool!"

"Wooh," Blake said from up in her bed, but she had at least taken her eyes off her book.

"Ah, come on, Blake. Tell ya what, after we talk to my parents, I need to go shopping anyway. Why don't we stop by a bookstore on the way, and I'll get you whatever you want?"

Blake's eyes lit up before she could hide them. She coughed once, "Yeah I'd love to meet your family."

"Blake gets a present?" Ruby looked up at Violet, eyes wide and hopeful.

Violet tried to think of something worth getting for Ruby. An entire box full of cookies? Comic books? A new game? As she was pondering it, her eyes fell on something in the room, and she smiled, "How about I let you fire off Zenith?"

Ruby's face broke out in an enthusiastic smile, until the doubt crept on to her face to replace it, "Isn't it _bad_ to try and shoot your gun, though?"

"Not if I'm there with you to make it work properly," Violet laughed.

Ruby pumped her fist into the air excitedly, letting out a more genuine "Wooh!" than Blake's could ever hope to be. She hurriedly started getting dressed as Yang stepped out of the bathroom, half dressed, "What are we cheering about in here?"

"We're going to meet Violet's parents, and then she's going to let me shoot her gun!" Ruby gave a rapid fire response as she pulled a shirt down over her head.

Yang's eyes narrowed, "Isn't that, like, super dangerous?"

Ruby spoke again before Violet could, "Not if _Violet's_ there, silly," sounding as if she hadn't _just_ asked the same question a minute ago.

"You in, Yang? I'm sure my parents would like to at least see my entire team," Violet asked.

"Sure. We have the whole weekend to ourselves, anyway. Maybe we'll give our dad a call, too. He's a teacher, so he shouldn't be working on the weekend either," Yang replied with a shrug of her shoulders, heading back into the bathroom to fix up her hair.

' _Finally meeting Tai? Sign me up,_ ' Violet smiled, as she finished dressing herself.

* * *

They stopped by the cafeteria to eat breakfast before heading for the tower. It was a nice enough day out. Hot, if not for the breeze that rolled across the plateau, cooling the temperature down to a more bearable level. The four girls made their way through the mildly busy campus to the awaiting tower, which loomed over the rest of Beacon, its top lit with a greenish light that gave the school its namesake.

"The tower is so _huuuuuuuge!_ " Ruby admired joyously, eyes staring up at the massive spire.

"You think _that's_ big? You should see my-" Violet was cut off by a smack to the back of the head by Yang.

"See what?" Ruby asked, too busy looking wide eyed at the tower to notice the little exchange.

Violet rubbed her head and shot Yang a glance, "Eh, the tower in Atlas, I mean. You should see the tower in Atlas. It's bigger. It's where General Ironwood get's _his_ name-" Violet managed to dodge the fist leveled at her face but cut herself off just the same with a smirk at Yang.

They headed in through the front door, past the guards that gave them one glance before letting them go by. They stepped inside, walking through the opening area that included guards and students alike, and into the elevator.

"Please present identification,' a feminine recording chimed.

Violet held her Scroll up in front of the sensor, the computer decoding the information there before it chimed, "Welcome to the CCT, Violet Regalia. Where would you like to go?"

"To the communications room, please."

The elevator shifted beneath them, rising at a steady pace up the length of the massive tower. They wouldn't reach the top. The top was Ozpin's office. The elevator stopped somewhere around the middle, doors opening to reveal a room set with dozens of terminals.

Violet led them to the far corner to give them a little privacy. There were other students in here already, looking as if they were talking to their own family or friends back home. Violet took a seat, and the rest of her team stood right behind her. She connected her Scroll to the terminal, it's signal getting boosted, and the screen lit up as the call home went through.

Thirty seconds passed with no response before the screen flickered, an image finally coming into focus on it, "Hello? Violet? Can you hear me, sweetheart?" Her father's voice came through, crystal clear as his face appeared on the screen. It looked like the same had happened on his end, as his eyes lit up. Violet's mother cracked her hips against the man as she stepped into frame, knocking him to the side playfully.

"It's good to see you again, dear. How-" Her mother's voice cut off as her eyes widened.

"Mom, dad. This is my team," Violet pointed them out in turn. Ruby and Yang, "They're sisters", and last but not least, "This is Blake." They each gave a little wave as their names were mentioned.

"Well, it is certainly nice to meet you, girls," Her mother said emphatically, "Look dear, our daughter's team." She made it sound as if he was just being shy even though she was the one that had knocked him away with more force than was necessary.

"Indeed. It _is_ nice to meet you all. How is everyone faring in school?"

"Ha! Among the first years, we only have one team that has any chance against us, and that's mostly because they have Pyrrha Nikos on their team. Yeah, _that_ Pyrrha Nikos," Violet clarified when the two shared a look.

"Vi fought her in class, she got wrecked," Yang laughed, likely still holding a grudge from Violet's comments to Ruby earlier.

"Yang! She did really good!" Ruby chastised, nodding excitedly at the two adults, "She lasted longer than anyone else did, even longer than Yang!" The older sister narrowed her eyes at Ruby, scathing but with the smile still on her lips.

"How are things back home?" Violet interjected, talking over the brewing argument between the two girls.

"Oh, same old, same old," Her father hummed with a sigh, "A little bit quieter, since we don't have you test firing your weapon to deal with anymore."

"Hey!"

"You fired that thing _indoors_!?" Blake interrupted, staring wide eyed at Violet.

"N-no! I fired it off the balcony at targets I set up in the garden!"

Blake rolled her eyes, "Because _that's_ so much better. I'm sorry for the property damage she must have caused, Mr. and Mrs. Regalia."

"I only broke one statue," Violet mumbled dejectedly.

"Reduced it to a fine powder, you mean," Her mother quipped, giving her a smile.

Violet raised her hand up to cup her mouth as she turned away from the screen, hiding what she said from her parents, " _It was reaaallly ugly. I had to look at it from my bedroom window every morning. It was a total eyesore!"_

Ruby suppressed her giggles, while Blake was apparently in deep thought trying to think of anything outside _their_ window that Violet might get trigger happy over.

The adult's attention was pulled away from the screen for a moment, as their voices became muffled. With a startled gasp, they were joined by a familiar fox eared faunus that slipped between the two of them to stare into the screen in excitement.

"Henna!" Violet laughed, eyes drawn back to the screen. Blake leaned forward to look at the sudden addition. Henna was grinning broadly from ear to ear. ' _If her faunus trait had been a tail, it would be smacking my parents back and forth right now._ '

"Little Miss!" Violet winced at the name drop, feeling the grin break out on Yang's face, "Are you getting enough sleep? What are you having for breakfast? Are you drinking enough water?"

"Yes. Food. And yes. In that order," Violet replied quickly, trying to slow down the barrage of questions before she could give Yang any more ammunition to taunt her with later. Henna's eyes beamed happily until a cough by Violet's father reminded her that her employers were right there.

"Oh, uhhh, I'll leave you to it then!" Henna said cheerily and extricated herself from between the two.

"I miss you, Henna!" Violet called out as she left. Henna's head returned into frame, long enough to give Violet a wink before disappearing again.

"How's Peri doing, by the way?" Violet said into the silence that followed.

"Ready to graduate next month. He'll be coming with us to Vale to visit you once your first semester ends."

Violet perked up with a smile. It would be nice to see him after so long.

"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Her mother asked.

"We need to make another call, and then I need to go buy some things in Vale."

Her father's pocket vibrated, and he pulled out his Scroll, looking at the caller ID before giving an apologetic look towards Vi, "Sorry, gotta take this." Her father listened to what the caller had to say, face darkening, "What do you mean, we lost contact with Brunswick!?"

Violet's mother shot the man a frown then sighed, giving Violet a sad look, "Well, it was nice talking to you while we could, dear. Give us another call next weekend if you can."

"Yes, mom. Love ya!" Violet laughed.

"Love you too, dear," She swatted her hand against the man's forearm, and he turned away from the call long enough to give a quick, "Love you!" before the video feed buzzed away, call ending.

"Well, they were nice," Ruby said simply.

"Little Miss~" Yang sang out in a falsetto, "Are you having fun destroying statues in the garden~?"

Violet stepped back away from the console and gestured for Ruby to step forward quickly, "I'm sure _your_ family doesn't have any embarrassing stories to share. Maybe I'll ask him for some pictures of you as a kid. You were just _so_ _adorable_ when you were young. I don't know what went wrong."

The mockery didn't get the reaction that Violet wanted. Yang was too caught up in thinking over her own insults to pay attention to what she had to say.

"Hey, dad!" Ruby's voice announced the call going through, distracting them.

"Ruby! Yang!" Tai shouted in surprise, raising his Scroll closer to his face as he stared at them, "I wasn't expecting a call! Did something happen?"

"What, your daughters can't just call because they miss their old man?" Yang replied with a snarky smile, "Yee of little faith!"

"No, I'm glad you did. So, who are these two?" Tai changed the subject to the other two girls sharing a cubicle with his daughters.

"This is Blake, another member of team Vibrant, and this is," Yang's eyes glowed, "Our fearless leader, Little Miss~!"

"Yang! This is Violet, dad. She _is_ our leader," Ruby broke in, trying to differentiate between what was fact and fiction.

Tai's face was unreadable as he brought the Scroll even closer to his face, one large eye all they could see on their side, "Is that, _the_ Violet?"

"Ew, dad, gross!" Ruby yelled, averting her gaze from the giant close up eye on the screen.

"Yeah, that's her. Even if she keeps denying how it happened," Yang huffed with a glower at Violet.

Violet just shrugged under the scrutiny, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Xiao Long."

"Thank you, Violet. I've wanted to say that for a long time. If it hadn't been for you, both my daughters would have been taken from me," Tai's face grew dark, a deep-seated depression settling in.

Violet felt guilty. ' _I could have stopped them if I tried… Hell, if I wasn't there at all then Qrow would have been._ ' "I don't need your thanks, sir. I'm glad they could be here, too. They're precious members of my team now," Violet looked at Blake as she finished, "All three of them."

Tai nodded his understanding, "Sorry to cut this short, girls, but I have a ton of papers to grade. Thanks for calling, and make sure you remember to again!"

"Bye dad!"

"See ya, pops!"

With a satisfied nod from Tai, the screen went blank and the girls were left to themselves again.

"So, Blake. Wanna make it four for four?" Violet teased.

Blake's bow twitched as her face paled, "That's _not_ a call I want to make right now."

"Why not? I'm sure they would be proud of you making it into Beacon," Violet chastised. She _knew_ they would forgive Blake. Hell, they really didn't seem all that upset with her in the first place.

"I… didn't leave on the best terms," Blake said with a tremble.

Violet gave her a considering look, then turned to Yang and Ruby, "Hey guys, you go ahead. We'll meet you down there."

The two sisters looked between Blake and Violet uncertainly, but took their leader's suggestion after a few seconds and headed for the elevator. Violet waited until the doors had closed and they were left mostly alone, still a good distance from the other students in the comm's room, before drawing Blake even further towards the corner of the room.

"Did Ghira not want you to be a huntress?" Violet asked the question that she knew was wrong, if only to get the conversation rolling, and surprise Blake into hopefully sharing more than she would realize.

Blake's eyes flared in fear, hand reaching up for Gambol Shroud, which was still tucked away back in the dorm. She took a step back from Violet, other hand up to ward her away, " _How do you know that name!?_ " she whispered vehemently.

Violet held her hands up in a placating gesture, looking around the room to remind Blake of where they were, "Blake. It's me. The history buff, remember? Did you think I wouldn't know that the creator of the White Fang and current _Chieftain_ of Menagerie was a cat faunus with the last name _Belladonna_? Honestly, Professor Oobleck probably connected the dots on the first day. Headmaster Ozpin, too."

Blake's eyes darted around the room, panic setting in. ' _She wants to run,_ ' Violet thought worriedly. Blake tensed as Violet stepped forward, then froze in shock as Violet pulled her into a tight hug.

"Blake, calm down. If they were going to do anything about it, they _would have_ already. They _want_ you to go to Beacon and become a huntress. Ozpin is probably hoping you'll help the faunus _and_ the White Fang for the better once you graduate. You have nothing to worry about. No matter what happens, your team will always stick by your side. You're our friend, Blake. We don't care about your past," Violet whispered it all affectionately into Blake's ear, hoping against hope that the girl would hear the sincerity in her voice.

To her surprise, Blake's struggling stopped. Her shoulders slumped, and two hesitant hands drifted up Violet's back to hug her in return. It was weak, but it was better than the alternative. Violet stayed as she was, putting all of her love for the girl into the hug, not wanting to be the first to pull away.

After a minute, Blake slowly withdrew from the embrace, a choked laugh betraying the conflicting emotions she felt, "How did I get so lucky?"

"Maybe you're one of the main characters in a story. Good stuff tends to happen to them to balance out all the bad," Violet replied with a smile.

"Then I'm past due for a _lot_ of good," Blake laughed again. It was clearer this time, happier.

"Well, why don't we start with some now? You should call your parents, Blake. I'm _sure_ they miss you. What parent wouldn't?"

Blake looked at the console hesitantly, "You really think…?"

"Yes."

Blake nodded and sat down in front of the console with some trepidation. She gave a meaningful look at Violet, who realized what she wanted and walked over behind her, offering Blake her support with just her presence.

Blake pulled out her Scroll and connected it to the console. Her finger hovered over her contact list, and with one final deep breath, she pressed 'Dad'. It took a few seconds, and Violet could already see Blake beginning to tense, but then a voice could be heard over the line, and Ghira Belladonna came into full view, "Yes, who is- KALI GET IN HERE!"

Ghira's face broke out in the happiest smile Violet had seen in a long time, as he shifted the front camera to show the woman that had just arrived, "What is- BLAKE!"

They both stared in utter joy as their daughter's bow twitched, faltering beneath the reactions that she hadn't expected in the slightest.

"We've missed you so much, Blake. When are you coming home?" Kali asked.

Blake was speechless, her eyes saucers as she stared at her parents. Violet reached up a hand and gripped her shoulder tightly, drawing Blake out of her stupor.

"I… I missed you guys, too. I'm not coming home for awhile, mom. I'm a student at Beacon now," Blake struggled out, eyes flicking between the two faces to see their reactions to the news.

"That's wonderful darling! I hope that means you finally-" Kali cut off as she finally realized Violet was there with Blake.

"Left the White Fang?" Violet finished quietly, so as not to be overheard.

Kali's smile returned and she nodded, turning her eyes back to Blake.

Blake nodded as well, "I did, mom. They were getting… too violent. I didn't recognize it as the same White Fang anymore. I'm… sorry, for the things I said to you guys."

Ghira and Kali exchanged confused glances before Ghira spoke up, "We were never mad at you, Blake. We were just worried about what you were getting yourself into. We will _always_ love you."

Fresh tears streamed down Blake's cheeks as she nodded her acceptance, unable to speak.

"Now who is this lovely young lady?" Kali asked, turning her eyes back to Violet and giving Blake time to recover.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna. I'm Violet, Blake's team leader. I convinced her to make this little call," Violet replied with a smile.

"Thank you, Violet," Kali said sincerely.

Violet shrugged, "No child deserves to feel like they aren't loved," she nudged Blake playfully, "even if it is all in their head."

Kali looked at Blake in dismay, "Oh sweetheart, you thought we…?"

"I was being stupid. I know that now," Blake struggled to get the words out, "I love you guys."

Ghira and Kali started asking Blake questions from there. What her time at Beacon was like, about her teammates, what classes she was enjoying the most. Violet shot a text to Yang, telling them it would be awhile and that they should just go ahead without them. Violet could hear the annoyance through Yang's text message, but she agreed, telling her that they were going to get some sweets and to message her when they were done.

Violet was brought back into the conversation at a few points, but the happy parents kept the majority of their attention on their daughter. It was an hour later before the three of them finally agreed to end the call. Blake promises profusely that she would call again when she got the chance. They all said one final "I love you", Violet waved in the background, and the screen went dark.

Blake let out a long, pent up sigh. She stood, swaying a little, and Violet spared a hand to help her steady herself, "Thank you, Violet."

"Hey, what are team leaders for? I'm supposed to look out for you kids," Violet joked, giving Blake a little shove towards the elevator, "Yang and Ruby went to go get food while you were talking, but that was over an hour ago. I'm sure they're very impatiently waiting somewhere for us to regroup with them." Violet spared a glance to Blake as they stepped into the elevator and the doors closed, "How about I tell them to meet us at Tukson's Book Trade. _Somebody_ deserves what they're owed. Wouldn't you agree?"

Violet was surprised as Blake gave a bubbly laugh and threw her arms around Violet in a deep, long hug. She didn't struggle or protest. She just returned the hug with just as much warmth as before.

It turned out, Violet didn't need to send a message to Yang. As the elevator doors opened, she was there. Her foot was angrily tapping away at the floor while Ruby sat off to the side, but her foot froze as the scene was revealed to her.

"What, you guys ditched us to make out~?" Yang asked with a coy smile, anger instantly forgotten.

Blake ripped herself away from Violet and glared at Yang, "Way to ruin the moment, Yang. We were having a heart to heart."

"You were probably touching more than just each other's hearts, if you catch my drift," Yang replied smugly, "Oooh~, Little Miss~"

Violet desperately wished she had Zenith with her. The two stepped out of the elevator, Blake red faced from embarrassment, Violet trying to close the distance so she could wrap her fingers around Yang's throat and stop the taunting forever.

"We're never going to live this down," Violet finally sighed when she realized that choking the life out of Yang wasn't in her plans. ' _I wouldn't want to upset Ruby like that. You're safe for now, you blonde bimbo._ '

"Let's go," Violet said tightly, stepping past Yang to head towards the door. Ruby and Blake followed, along with Yang, still popping off very _suggestive_ sounds as they walked.

"Hey, Ruby. You want to watch some 18+ videos when we get home?" Violet asked after the fifth time Yang moaned from behind her.

"Like a horror movie?" Ruby asked innocently, "Will it make me scared?"

"Oh, it'll make you feel something, alright."

"Don't… you… dare…" Yang's eyes flashed red, and her hair started to burn.

"It's just a last resort, Yang. Like a deadman's switch. It will only go off once I've been forced to use it~" Violet replied, sparring Ruby a glance to see the utter confusion on the young girl's face.

"Yang? What are you guys talking about?"

"Just adult stuff, Ruby. You don't need to know about it."

"Like kissing?"

"Like kissing."

They arrived at Tukson's Book Trade after another ten minutes of blissful silence. ' _Home to every book under the sun,_ ' Violet read to herself, seeing the slogan printed on one of the windows. ' _What the hell_ _**is**_ _Third Crusade, anyway?_ '

They all stepped inside, and Blake breathed deeply. This place smelled intensely of paper, and Blake wasted no time pouring through the shelves with a delighted grin. As they had entered, the doorbell jingled. Soon after, Tukson walked out of the back, looking at his new patrons.

"There's some comics near the front there, Ruby, if you want to pick something out. Take it as my apology for making you guys wait so long."

Ruby happily accepted, pulling out several comics one after the other to give them a look.

Violet gave Yang an inquisitive look, as if to say, ' _Peace. Do you want anything?_ ' Yang just shrugged, apparently understanding, and started rummaging through the books herself.

Violet started idly walking along the shelves. She didn't really want anything, except to pass the time and let Blake enjoy the moment while it lasted. ' _Not fighting deadly Grimm or deranged psychopaths. Just picking out some free books, courtesy of your very own team leader._ '

As she waited, her curiosity got the better of her, though. Tukson was still standing back behind the counter, keeping an eye on the group every now and then, but otherwise content to let them shop in peace. Violet edged up to the counter, getting his attention but making sure her teammates weren't in earshot, not even Blake.

" _Do you have Third Crusade?_ " Violet whispered in a miniscule voice, drawing as close as she dared to Tukson without arousing suspicion.

Tukson tensed, his eyes going wide for a moment before he eyed Violet up and down. His eyes kept flicking back up to hers, then down to her body, trying to pass on some message that she didn't understand. ' _What the hell is Third Crusade?_ ' Violet tried to put together the facts about Tukson. The book either didn't exist, or Tukson just didn't have it. Tukson was a part of the White Fang, but at this point, hadn't defected yet. ' _If I was a secret organization trying to recruit people…That's it! It's a code!_ '

Violet gave Tukson a flat look and glanced back over her shoulder towards her teammates, hoping to convey the lie. ' _I can't show you my faunus parts while they're here._ ' She then tapped the upper half of her forearm, hoping he would interpret it as her having scales up there or something. Tukson gave her a tight nod, seeming to understand, and pulled out a small business card. It had only an address and a date on it, along with three black slashes, like claw marks.

Violet pocketed the slip of paper and turned away, pretending as if nothing had passed between them. Tukson seemed ready enough to do the same, and leaned back against the counter, back turned, pointedly not looking at any of them while he composed himself.

Violet walked over to Blake, "So, what'd you find?" The girl in question had an armful of books, and was looking at them each in despair, "I said you could get whatever you want, Blake. Sky's the limit, here."

Blake looked at her in hesitation, likely not wanting to take advantage of her teammates wealth, but with a comforting smile from Violet, relaxed and brought the armful of books to the counter. Ruby followed suit, carrying her own armload of comics, and Yang shrugged, bringing up the one book she had. They set them all down. Violet nodded when Tukson asked if it would all be one transaction.

They left the shop a few minutes later, and after a short walk Violet dropped them off at the bullheads, waving them goodbye with an excuse that she needed some alone time, and didn't want to have to drag them around with her while she shopped for herself. Blake was surprisingly hesitant, despite the hoard she had just acquired. Violet got her to leave all the same.

She _was_ going shopping, but first, she had somewhere to go scope out.


	10. Witnesses

Violet headed over to the warehouse district. After a brief search on her Scroll, the location was marked on a map, and her GPS guided her to the correct street. She approached slowly, keeping an eye out in every direction. This area was run down, deserted. If someone was to spot her, she would have a tough time explaining why she was there. Violet decided to scale the fire escape ladder on the building adjacent to her target. She brushed her hands together, knocking off the rust that had gathered there from her climb, and move to the edge of the rooftop, thankful for the ledge that protected her from view.

The warehouse she was looking for sat in disrepair. The paint was cracked and flaking, tall grass grew up around its edges, it looked abandoned, if not for the man standing at the front door, smoking a cigarette. Violet took a close look at him. He stood, acting nonchalant while he leaned against a wall, just to the right of the door. His eyes never stopped moving though. Down one way, then the next, back and forth as he kept his look out. Violet left him for now, moving along the edge of her building to see as much as she could of the other. There was a side door, in the alleyway between hers and theirs, but with no visible guard, Violet could only assume it was locked tighter than the one at the front.

That door suddenly opened, though, and Violet ducked down lower, exposing the barest minimum of herself to keep an eye on what was happening. A man stepped out, wearing an obvious White Fang mask before he was pulled back inside. Another pair of gloved hands was visible, removing the mask from him forcibly and pushing him back outside. ' _Not very bright, then._ ' The man walked through the alleyway to the front of the building and traded places with the man that had been smoking. He ground his cigarette into the grass with a boot and opened the door he had been guarding, stepping inside.

The new guard took up watch, but he was much less observant than the previous had been. He let his eyes wander lazily, catching on to things or stopping altogether, in apparent thought about something unrelated to the task at hand.

There were no windows on the building, no chance for Violet to get an eye inside without getting into the building itself. With a hint of annoyance, Violet noticed that the fire escape on the other building had been broken off, left to lay on the ground in the alleyway. ' _I could just… No. No cheating._ '

Violet didn't particularly like her options. She could attempt to sneak in past the guard, distract him somehow then try to open and close the door unnoticed. She could try and catch him by surprise, her punches _were_ surprisingly strong when she needed them to be thanks to her semblance.

Violet chose the second option. The guard had just been switched, so she doubted another was going to take his place or check up on him soon. The front door was also unlocked, since neither had pulled out any keys for the first man to get back inside. That would leave her retreat open if she was discovered the moment she opened the door…

Violet set herself in motion, climbing back down the ladder of her own building to the ground level, then glanced around the corner, keeping an eye on the guard's seemingly random pattern of keeping watch and daydreaming. She waited until his eyes were off the other direction, head rested like he was thinking about something again, before she stepped out from behind the corner and began walking towards him nonchalantly. Violet was careful not to assume a gait that would look suspicious. She didn't tread lightly, didn't stare at the guard or the ground.

He heard her approaching once she was within ten feet of him, his head spinning back to face her direction, body tensing. Violet just gave him a smile and slowed down a little, not completely stopping, but trying to make herself appear as non threatening as possible while still gaining ground. "Excuse me, do you know where 1252 Anchor is? I've been looking everywhere around here. My boss wanted me to deliver something," Violet choked out a laugh, "They'll kill me if I'm late!"

The man's body lost some of its tension, but his eyes still darted from her to the street around, unsure of what to do in the situation. ' _Good, stay like that. It'll keep you from doing anything before I close the gap._ '

"I don't know about any Anchor Street, kid. You're in the wrong neighborhood if you're-"

Violet dashed forward the final three feet with a speed that shocked the man. He had no chance, as her weighted fist collided with his chin, knocking his head to the side as he slumped towards the ground. Violet finished the movement, her other hand already reaching out and grabbing a hold of his shirt and making him weightless before letting him down to the ground.

' _Step one, gain access and secure an escape route. Step two onward... no clue._ '

Violet moved to the door and pulled it open just enough to get a peek through the crack she had made. She didn't see any motion through the crack. The lights were dimmed, and there was a cargo container situated near the door in front of her. ' _Alright, I'm going for it._ ' Violet listened for anything, and hearing nothing, pulled the door open. She closed it quietly but swiftly before moving into a crouch behind the nearby container. The first thing she noticed was the large snowflake emblazoned on the side, and _Schnee Dust Company_ written in easy to read script next to it.

' _Dust cargo containers?_ '

Violet took in more of her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the walkway above her. A quick frantic glance showed no one above her though. She moved to the other side of the container, and found another, then another. They were packed into the building tightly.

"Can't you animals doing anything right?" the familiar voice of Roman Torchwick caught Violet's ear, and she paled. ' _This is his hideout!_ _The first of many, most likely._ "

The faunus unfortunate enough to have gained Torchwick's ire mumbled something incoherently, too low for Violet to make out compared to the yell that had been the orange haired man's. ' _Do I keep going?_ ' Violet didn't have her weapon on her, and even with some hand to hand training, she doubted she would match up against the crook. He had fought off both Blake _and_ Sun for a time during their fight at the docks. ' _Even if that hasn't happened yet. It isn't as if he gets suddenly more competent overnight._ '

Violet slowly backed off, towards the door she'd came from. ' _I already know where he ends up, anyway. This isn't worth it._ ' With a skill born of fear, she exited the building silently, and left.

' _Time to go shopping, I guess._ '

* * *

Roman stood over the unconscious form of the faunus that had been on guard duty. This was bad. Someone had waltzed in, completely unnoticed aside from this one damn animal, knocked him out, gathered intel on their operation, and left without making a peep. Roman shivered, ' _This is_ _ **very**_ _bad._ '

"One of you animals go grab my Scroll off the table," he growled.

She was still taking care of other loose ends, but they could wait. He was going to need all the protection he could get.

' _I need to call in Neo._ '

* * *

The rest of the weekend and most of the next school week passed uneventfully. Violet bought her clothes, the gang spent more time together and with Siren, they had their classes, Violet learned very little, but helped the others with their homework, and the bond shared by all of them deepened in the process. It was the following Friday that Violet started to get excited about.

' _Forever Fall, here we come._ '

Violet supposed she shouldn't be excited about someone getting covered in sap and having wasps set on them, but Violet had only gotten to beat on Cardin that one time. He'd been keeping himself surprisingly scarce, as of late. ' _Now that I think about it, other than that first day, I haven't noticed any more of his usual antics._ '

Cardin was still there. In classes, in the halls, at lunch. He seemed to be adamantly opposed to playing his role as the bully anymore, though, which Violet found confusing. They were in the cafeteria at the moment, and Cardin was sitting with his team, all of them the only ones at that particular table despite it being large enough for more people. ' _There's Velvet… right behind him._ '

The bully made no move to do just that, bully. Velvet was loudly chatting with the people beside her, which should have drawn his attention to her. The soft, easy, rabbit faunus target.

"Has anyone noticed something off about Cardin. He's a lot more… reserved, than on the first day," Violet finally asked, turning to the assembled group all enjoying their meal together.

Several faces at the table smiled, sharing some joke that Violet wasn't privy to. It was Weiss that spoke first though, one of the few that wasn't smiling, "Winchester won't be a problem anymore."

Violet's eyes grew wide, "What did you do?"

"Threatened him with the harshest punishment I could imagine."

Violet gasped, drawing Weiss's eyes to her, as she slowly raised a finger and slid it across her neck, a silent question in her eyes.

Weiss's eyes widened in shock, "No, you dolt! I told him our teams would challenge him every day in Ms. Goodwitch's combat class if he didn't fix his act!"

' _Okay, I thought I'd messed up time_ _ **really**_ _bad for a second there._ ' Violet looked at each of her friends in turn, seeing various levels of pride, smugness, and dislike for Cardin. She had to hand it to Weiss. It had been more effective than Violet would have given it credit for. She supposed the addition of expressing a united front had helped, more than Violet just beating on him over and over would have done. ' _Peer pressure is a strong tool. Especially when the primary person speaking out against you would have been an assumed ally._ '

"Good job, Weiss. I'm glad you were able to put a stop to him like that," Violet said, voice thick with appreciation. Weiss took the compliment, just nodding ascension before going back to her meal. ' _She's proud of what she did, but doesn't want to show it._ '

Forever Fall was sounding a lot more boring now. If all they were going to do was collect tree sap without the drama, what was the point. Violet's head slumped down on top of her hand. ' _Greaaaaaaat._ ' "What did he do anyway that got you to step in like that?"

"Tripped Velvet then kicked her drink into her face while she was still on the ground," Weiss replied with barely hidden disgust.

…...

"... _He… what…_ " Violet ground out between clenched teeth, eyes now boring a hole through Cardin's back. ' _The little shit thinks he can get away with that!?_ ' Velvet was sweet, innocent. She didn't deserve to be treated with such _blatant_ disrespect!

"Hey, it's okay. Weiss took care of it," Yang said in alarm, putting a hand on Violet's own when she saw the murderous look in her eyes, "I know you're really protective of the faunus, but he stopped."

' _Took care of it!? She threatened him with a slap on the wrist and then let him walk away. No punishment had been dolled out for his actions, none at all._ '

Concern grew on a few of their faces as Violet's anger refused to subside, her death glare promising retribution for the things Cardin had done.

"Hey, don't do anything you'll regret," Blake said timidly, placing a hand on her other arm, "Focus on Velvet. She's fine now. She's happy. She's laughing. That's all that matters, right?"

Violet reluctantly let her gaze drift over to Velvet. She _was_ happy. She was enjoying herself, in the company of her classmates. It took a lot of effort on her part, but Violet finally managed to quell her rage. She kept her eyes on Velvet the entire time, trying to let her smile be infectious, wanting some of that happiness to waft Violet's way and pushed out the anger she felt.

Yang and Blake kept their hands on her until she started to relax. "He's just a glorified _fucking_ extra," Violet muttered, not caring who heard. The admission helped to soothe her, though. The tension finally left her body, she sighed, and gave a small smile to the girls next to her.

"Can I just break one of his bones?" Violet joked after a full minute had passed, a tiny bit of suppressed anger still slipping through.

"I suggest the legs," Nora piped up from down the table, "He can't run away if you start with the legs."

Violet let her expression turn thoughtful until Blake backhanded her shoulder, "None of that."

Violet smiled at her and bumped shoulders, anger leaving her completely, "Alright, alright. I won't hurt Cardin, at least as long as he doesn't act up again."

The two nodded and went back to their meals. That was fair enough to them.

' _Boredom awaits._ '

* * *

Blake kept the smile up on her face, even though deep down, Violet had scared her. The way she had said that… It showed a total disregard for Cardin as a _person_ , as if his life truly didn't matter to her in the _slightest_. She knew a faunus that spoke like that about other people... The thought made her shiver.

She hoped Cardin didn't 'act up' again. For his sake, and for Violet's.

* * *

The bullhead that dropped them off at Forever Fall took off again without them. It was unsafe to leave it parked in a place infested with Grimm, so they were on their own. Violet watched the ship disappear through the trees, the hints of its presence being lost when it finally covered enough ground. The sound of its engines faded as well, the ominous silence a gentle reminder that they were on their own.

Violet turned a wary eye to her surroundings. She knew they shouldn't be attacked while they were here, not unless the Ursa stumbled on to one of their groups. ' _Please let it be Cardinal, please let it be Cardinal._ ' Her senses were warning her that this place wasn't safe though. It wasn't the kind of place you wanted to relax in, or else you'd end up with a beowulf breathing down your neck.

Ms. Goodwitch confirmed her suspicions as she told them their objective, then warned them that the forest was indeed full of the creatures of Grimm. The mood shifted slightly, despite the beautiful scenery, as everyone's eyes grew a little bit more wary.

The jars were passed out, to be used in collecting sap from the trees deeper into the forest. ' _What the heck does Professor Peach even need this much sap for anyway?_ '

Glynda finished up her speech, "We will rendezvous back her at 4 o'clock. Have fun," then walked away, perhaps to get away from the children for a few minutes.

' _Right. Fun. Collecting sap. Wooh._ '

Violet sighed and followed her team and Siren into the surrounding trees, travelling deeper into the forest, where the trees started to grow in scale and width. Cardin and his teammates disappeared, off to god knows where. ' _Except I don't,_ ' and that fact was starting to bother her. Violet looked at her friends. Their attention was diverted towards the front, in the direction they were headed. Violet took the opportunity and slipped away through the trees, wanting to make sure that Cardinal wasn't up to something.

She spotted them a small distance away from the rest, already tapping into some of the smaller trees. Violet hid herself behind a tree, close enough to listen in on their conversation.

"That bitch thinks she's _sooo_ much better than me," Cardin seethed, already holding a half-filled jar of sap, "I'll teach _her_ a lesson. One that she won't forget."

' _Were they talking about me? It sounded like it, but it had been two weeks now since she'd said those things. It has to be Weiss._ '

"Are you sure about this, Cardin? I don't like to admit it, but we've all had to fight them in combat class. They are stronger than us," one of them said, Russel maybe, Violet had never bothered to learn their names.

"Which is exactly why they'll be just fine fighting off a few Grimm," Cardin replied, "I looked this stuff up on my Scroll. It attracts the Grimm. That's why there's so many here, and why Professor Peach wants samples of it."

Violet's anger started anew, ' _Trying to sick Grimm on us, are you?_ _ **That's**_ _your master plan?_ ' Her fury boiled over, all the suppressed feelings from earlier rushing back as she watched him turn around to the rest of his team, a smug smile on his face, holding aloft the jar he had filled.

"Let's hope something dangerous shows up. I'm hoping for a King Taijitu, at the very least."

Team Cardinal never heard the King Taijitu move up behind them.

It hadn't _existed_ before then.

' _Wish granted, extra._ '

* * *

Yang noticed Violet slipping away, and slowed down, letting the group continue ahead. She watched them go, a little uncertain, but decided to just go grab Violet herself. God knows what the girl was thinking, but with Cardinal out here, and the Grimm, Yang didn't want to take any chances letting her roam free. Violet was quiet, though, and stealthier than Yang would have thought possible, given how the girl should have stood out like a sore thumb compared to the forest of red that surrounded them. The moment she had taken her eyes off her, Violet had vanished into the vegetation. Yang suppressed an urge to shout Violet's name. The Grimm _could_ hear things. She failed to spot her, though, as she traveled deeper into the trees.

The sound of something _heavy_ crashing against the ground, and panicked screams, got her moving. Yang dashed in their direction as she heard more heavy crashes, the snapping of trees, the yells of several people in fear and desperation. Yang blew into the clearing and froze, immobilized by the horrifyingly _massive_ King Taijitu that was currently laying into team Cardinal. Every twist of its body snapped trees in its wake. There were already deep furrows dug into the ground where its heads had slammed into it, trying to snatch up the prey in front of it. Only two members of team Cardinal were still up that she could see, the others unconscious, or worse.

Yang blasted into action.

* * *

' _Shit._ '

Violet hadn't _meant_ to make it this strong. Her anger had gotten the better of her, made her sloppy. The King Taijitu was easily twice the size of a normal Grimm of its type. It dwarfed the members of team Cardinal. They had immediately noticed the dark shadow looming over the top of them and yelled in shock, turning around to defend themselves from it. The King Taijitu had lashed out, shattering one of their auras in a single hit, sending him flying back into a tree across the clearing with a cracking sound that Violet hoped was just the tree. The others had tried to defend themselves, but the other head had struck a moment after, catching another one off guard. The head had slammed him straight down into the ground, a massive hollow left in its wake that hid his body from view. Violet had no idea what she would find when she looked.

Violet pulled Zenith off her back. ' _What should I do!?_ ' Using her powers now to undo it would just reveal herself. That road led to questions, to her having to leave or risk being exposed.

' _My fault!_ '

Violet surged into action, right as Yang came screaming out of the trees, roaring a challenge at the giant Grimm. Its heads looked up, one to each of them, and lunged forward. Cardin and his teammate managed to dive to the side as the body of the Grimm threatened to crush them in its passing.

Yang blasted her Ember Celicas down as the Grimm's mouth opened wide, launching herself above her impending doom. Violet made herself lighter, rolling out of the way the moment before it struck, then turning back and lashing out with Zenith. Her greatsword glanced off its skin, leaving only the tiniest of scratches. ' _This isn't going to work!_ '

Yang wasn't having much more luck than she was. Her blasts of Ember Celica across the Grimm's back were completely ineffectual. The head she had dodged turned back towards her, lashing out once again and slamming into its own body. Yang narrowly dodged being crushed instantly. Her aura wouldn't have protected her from that. Violet had to take her eyes off Yang as the head next to her whipped sideways. With nowhere to go, Violet was sent flying across the ground, a strangled cry escaping her lips as pain flashed through her entire body. Her aura had broken. One hit from the Grimm had proved to be too much.

Yang heard Violet's cry and turned her attention towards her, eyes going wide. The head that had slapped Violet across the clearing slowly coiled in her direction. Violet tried to pick herself up, but whimpered and fell back to the ground, pain shooting up her leg. It was broken, just like her aura.

With another scream of outrage, Yang shot across the clearing and landed in a roll, coming up between Violet and the King Taijitu. She stood, breathing heavily, back to Violet, standing over her protectively. Both heads slithered towards them, flattening the ground in their wake. Yang shook, but stayed where she was, as both of the heads raised up, rearing back to strike.

' _MY FAULT!_ '

Violet's eyes burned as familiar amethyst fire scorched along the entire length of the King Taijitu, from one head to the other. Both heads thrashed, screeching in pain so loudly that it reverberated through the clearing and sent Yang to her knees, hands clutching at her ears in a desperate attempt to protect them from the roar. The fire continued to burn as it thrashed, not letting up, until the body dropped heavily to the ground one final time. The fire went out, leaving no sign in its wake. The Grimm was not burned. Violet had not destroyed its flesh. She had destroyed its very essence, just like she had so long ago to the beowulves.

Cardin burst back through the treeline, Professor Goodwitch hot on his heels as they stopped and stared at the carnage. Glynda got a hold of herself and ran to the first two students she saw, Yang and Violet. Cardin ran to his teammate that had been thrown into the tree, checking for a pulse.

Ms. Goodwitch opened her mouth and said something, but Violet realized immediately that she couldn't hear. Blood trickled down the sides of her face, out of her ears. Yang seemed to still have some hearing left, as Ms. Goodwitch tried shouting at them. Yang mumbled something as best she could. Violet got Glynda's attention, pointing off towards the deep hole in the ground, trying to say as close to "One of them's over there," as she could manage. Glynda seemed to understand her, and rushed off. She used her telekinesis to pull the boy out of the ground, laying him flat on the ground next to it.

Glynda checked for a pulse as well, and her expression calmed. ' _A good sign._ '

The rest of team Vibrant and Siren finally made it into the clearing, and immediately began helping where they could. Her teammates were saying things to her, but Violet could hear none of it. She had eyes only for the two members of Cardinal that had been downed.

With immense relief, she saw them getting treated, ' _That means they aren't dead, at least,_ ' and let herself fall back on the ground. Her breathing came out ragged and painful, in short sharp bursts, ' _Probably some broken ribs._ ' Glynda had pulled out a medical kit from her supplies, and filled a syringe before sticking it into the boy's thigh. Violet recognized the colorful blue liquid. ' _Aura boosters. Send one this way… After the other guy, of course._ '

Glynda had shown Weiss how to duplicate the procedure at the same time, though, and sent her off to Violet with one while Glynda herself went to the other member of team Cardinal. Violet barely felt the needle that Weiss jabbed into her leg. It was lost among the rest of the pain. After a minute of the drug being administered, though, she felt her hearing start to return. Her aura was working double time, patching up her ear drums as well as the rest of her wounds. Violet's friends were still muffled, more than one had tears in their eyes.

After a time, Glynda used her semblance to pick up the three of them and floated them with her as she walked, heading back to the evac point. Yang clutched Violet's hand as she floated, uncertainty in her eyes as Glynda turned around, throwing questions her direction. Violet couldn't hear what she said... she just hoped it was anything but the truth.

* * *

Violet was lying in one of the many medical rooms at Beacon. Her hearing had returned, and her rib cage had healed, but the damage to her leg was more extensive. It had been shattered in several places, and would take a couple days to fully heal. ' _Wooh… wasted weekend._ '

The two members of Cardinal were in separate rooms, still alive. She had asked the nurse what the extent of their injuries were. The one that had been slammed into the tree was in similar condition to her, but it was his shoulder that had taken the brunt of the hit. The other was worse off. His entire upper body had taken the blow into the ground. Violet could only imagine the extent of the damage. He was lucky to be alive.

The door to her room opened, and Violet had to stop herself from visibly recoiling, ' _Ozpin._ '

The headmaster stepped into the room fully once he noticed she was awake, "Good evening, Ms. Regalia."

"Is it evening already?" Violet asked, looking towards her closed blinds. They only led out into the hallway, "Hard to tell with no real windows."

"I assure you it is," Ozpin replied with a quirk to his mouth. He shifted in his seat, drawing Violet's eyes back to his own as he spoke, "Ms. Regalia, I need a full recounting of the events that transpired yesterday. Spare no details."

Violet had already planned for this. There was no way to lie, not fully anyway. They would have the new body, another to compare to the Grimm from ten years ago. Violet needed to come clean with what Ozpin thought was the truth, and keep the _rest_ of her secrets guarded closely as she did so.

So Violet began her tale. Arriving in Forever Fall, seeing Cardinal and his group sneaking off, thinking they were up to something. Losing track of them, then running into the clearing to find them in the middle of a fight with the King Taijitu. How it was bigger, stronger, more resilient than any she had ever seen. How two of the members of team Cardinal had gone down instantly. Trying to help distract it so that the other two could get away. Yang's appearance. Violet getting wounded. Yang jumping to her defense.

Then... how her eyes had lit up, and the Grimm along with it, burning it in a way that somehow left no marks. How the body had not disappeared, as all Grimm usually did.

"I'm sure Ms. Goodwitch could tell you more from there. The Grimm made me deaf for a while, so I really couldn't tell what was going on after that."

"And were you aware that you had performed this feat before today?"

"I… the memory came back, when I was killing the Taijitu. Like I had repressed it, maybe. I don't know. I remember it now, though. Staring down the face of that beowulf and feeling like I was going to die…" Violet let out a very real shiver as she said it. It was the two girls that had been with her that she thought of, though.

"Thank you, Ms. Regalia, for your honesty in this matter," Ozpin replied, looking into her eyes as he said it. Violet didn't break eye contact. She knew what 'tells' were, and had long since ground them out.

"Do you know what this is, Headmaster? This thing I can do?"

"I have never seen anything quite like it," Ozpin replied, "What all you can do with it remains to be seen. I hope you will keep this matter a secret, though. Ms. Xiao Long has been given the same instructions. No one else saw what happened, though they are confused, which is to be expected." Ozpin stepped up to the door and held it half open, smiling as he gave one last glance in Violet's direction, "Get well soon."

Ozpin left her with that final sentiment.


	11. Visitation

Ozpin sat in his office, faced away from his desk and staring out the green tinted windows into Vale. He often would adopt this position when he was in deep thought. Right now he had a very important mystery to solve, and it wasn't making it easy for him. Certain parts just didn't add up. The young Ms. Regalia had some sort of power similar to the silver eyed warriors, and yet not. Silver eyes reduced the Grimm to stone and dust. These new… violet eyes… didn't destroy the body at all, but left it cold, lifeless, and untouched. The Grimm that had _moved_ the body was certainly no longer there, its essence gone, in a way. Grimm did not have a soul, but perhaps there was some other fundamental part of their being that gave them their autonomy?

The color bothered him as well. It was _her_ color. The color of the lands of the Grimm. Was there some connection there? The silver eyed warriors were descendants of _his_ offspring, so could the Queen of Grimm have done the same? The idea seemed preposterous, she was not interested in _creating_ life, not since… Ozpin shook the memories from his mind, focusing back on the task at hand. There was also the issue that it seemed to only work on the Grimm.

And why would a child between Salem and a human create a child capable of killing Grimm, but show no interest in using said power on other people? Could Violet, if she tried? Ozpin was not exactly keen to test that theory. She was still far too young to be taking the lives of other people.

Ozpin had gathered intel on both of the girl's parents. The father wasn't the type to have ever visited the Grimm lands, and the mother was on the hospital records to prove she had given birth to the girl. A baby switched at birth? She was the spitting image of a younger version of both. Her eyes were brighter, less dulled than her father's, but they were too close for it to be happenstance.

Then there was the King Taijitu. Ozpin had never seen one so large, not in _any_ of his lives. The beast dwarfed all those that stood before it. It's scales had been harder than any Grimm's as well. Even after death, Ozpin had taken the chance to attempt to dissect it, to study the Grimm physiology. The scalpel had bent when he tried. Even more… extreme measures… had given them very little results. If Violet had not been there, he feared the Taijitu would have killed the entire class, and Glynda.

So when and how did such a powerful, massive Grimm work its way into Forever Fall, completely unnoticed? Why did it? That answer at least seemed the most obvious of the bunch, it was after Ms. Regalia. It had attacked in the area she was near, perhaps stumbling upon team Cardinal first during its approach. It had disregarded the other two members of team Cardinal the moment she appeared, instead focusing on her and Ms. Xiao Long. Could the Grimm sense her? The alternative was that Salem had sent it specifically, which was far more troubling of an idea.

Not for the first time, Ozpin wished Jinn had been more useful in his last attempt to use her, and that he had kept his anger in check to find a question that would have worked. Young Vernal had disappeared soon after. Ran away, kidnapped, murdered… He and Leo had never managed to track her down, regardless. He could not ask any more questions for a long time, perhaps not even in this lifetime _or_ the next. Jinn's answers had been so evasive, it was not like her. She had acted as if there _was_ no Violet Regalia, but Ozpin had spoken to the girl only half an hour ago, had known she existed since the moment Qrow brought her to his attention.

A crazy idea started to swim in the murky depths of Ozpin's twisting mind. It was ridiculous, but… might make the most sense. The child had lived a life of relative comfort, at the heights of Atlas, never truly being in danger aside from the two times where her powers had appeared. The first time, a mental block of sorts could have formed, letting her forget enough of what had happened that she didn't realize it was her own powers that had killed the Grimm. Since that time, she had wanted for nothing in her extravagant life. And now again, when she, and one of the same people she had saved before, were at the brink of death… She had reacted instinctively in both scenarios. ' _Kill it_ '. That thought may have taken the same form both times. What if there was more she could do, and she had just not tried yet? If that were the case...

Ozpin sighed, turning back around to his desk to connect his Scroll and go through his contact list, dialing the name he had been looking for.

A gruff voice answered him, "Oz? What is it? I'm still on my mission."

"I'm calling you home. There are more important things that require your presence."

"I'm close though, Oz."

Ozpin pulled up one of the images saved to his Scroll and messaged it to the man as he spoke. A picture depicting four young girls, standing on a stage together, congratulating themselves on a job well done.

"Your fiery friend has returned, and she is in danger… Along with her team," Ozpin let his last words hang in the air. He knew the man on the line would never abandon his nieces.

"I'll come as soon as I can. It will still take me a week to get there."

"Seen you soon, old friend."

Ozpin turned back towards the window as the call ended. He paused to ponder a new question.

If he asked Jinn to tell him information about the man whose body he had joined with, the one that became the current iteration of 'Oz', would she still recognize that _body_ as its own person?

* * *

Yang ruffled Ruby's hair as they walked down the hallway to Violet's hospital room, drawing an annoyed silver eye for her efforts. Yang knew that Ruby didn't like it, but she needed a distraction. The poor girl was getting too worried. Violet was fine, if still recovering. Blake wasn't with them. She had excused herself, saying she needed to go down into Vale for something and that she would visit Violet later.

"Yang! You know I don't like that!"

"Awww, but your hair was just begging me to mess with it," Yang smirked, keeping Ruby's mind off her worry. Yang ruffled her hair again for good measure, since Ruby couldn't defend herself, her arms held down by the lunch tray she was carrying. Ruby's glare was her only defense.

They arrived outside Violet's door, and Yang held it open for Ruby, who stepped in first. They both stopped as they realized Violet wasn't alone. Standing by her bedside was one of the nurses, blanket pulled to the side as she checked up on Violet's leg cast. The wrapping started at just above the ankle, and went the rest of the way up to her inner thigh. Yang still remembered seeing it the first time. While they were still in Forever Fall, when it had still been fresh. Her leg had been brutalized by the blow, snapped in three places. Yang hadn't been able to leave her like that, even with the Grimm about to strike.

Yang's mind had flashed to ten years ago while she stood there trembling. The all too familiar feeling of complete despair welling up inside her. Yang had only one glimmer of hope, one thought that kept her standing there, the prayer that Violet would find it within herself to repeat the past, and save them both from the Grimm that threatened to end their lives… And Violet had done the impossible again. The Grimm had burst into flames, shrieking in an unworldly pain that deafened the both of them, but left them alive. " _Deaf is better than dead._ '

Violet turned a smile to the both of them where they were still standing in the doorway, and motion them in. There were a couple guest chairs off to the side of the wall that Yang snatched up and dragged over next to the bed. Ruby set the tray of food down on a table nearby, waiting for the nurse to be done.

"You're healing up nicely. We'll have to keep the cast on overnight, but tomorrow we can remove it."

"Oh good. Do you know how much it would suck if my leg started to itch?" Violet gave a hearty chuckle and then stopped, staring down at her leg in horror, " _Oh no._ "

Violet looked up at the nurse wide eyed, "Just take the leg!" The nurse just laughed and grabbed a small instrument off a nearby table before putting the tip underneath the edge of the cast. There was a sound of air getting dispensed and Violet laid back in pleasure, "Oh, that hit the spot..." The nurse started to step away, but was stopped by Violet's hand shooting out to grab her by the wrist. She looked pointedly at the object she had used, begging. The nurse handed it to her and Violet set it down in the bed with her, next to her leg, ready at a moment's notice. The nurse left the room smiling with a shake of her head, leaving the three of them alone.

Ruby finally handed Violet the tray, "We brought you food!"

Violet's eyes lit up as the tray was set down, her eyes scanning across it, "Oh, you're a saint, Little Red. The stuff they give me here isn't fit for dogs."

Yang's eyes noticed the similar trays resting on the counter nearby from previous meals, "Don't they give you the same stuff from the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, but Little Red and I share a special bond, you wouldn't understand. She just knows me. We're practically sisters or something. She always throws in the special ingredient," Violet mocked.

"And what might that be?" Yang grinded out, glaring at Violet's antics.

"Love," Violet replied with a grin as she lifted one of the plates, revealing a few cookies that had been hidden underneath. She gave Ruby a playful frown, "I thought you said you snuck four of them out?"

Ruby just licked her lips and smiled in response.

"Hm, should have seen that one coming."

"Are we gonna talk about what happened?" Yang interrupted their little game. She crossed her arms and frowned at the both of them, "We almost _died_."

Violet bit into one of her cookies slowly, and handed one to Ruby. The last she held up, temptingly swaying it back and forth in Yang's direction. She got a glare in return.

Violet sighed and laid back against her pillow, "We're _alive_ , Yang. What is there to talk about?"

"Well for starters I need to say thank you. _Again._ "

Violet looked away from them, towards the other side of the room, " _Don't._ " It was hard to hear what she said. It was soft, as if she was afraid of them even hearing it.

"Why not? You saved my life twice, Violet!" Yang raised her voice a little, confused by the response she had received.

"Listen, it just… it feels wrong, to have you say that," Violent said quietly, turning back towards them but not all the way. She paused for a few seconds, "Friends don't need to say thanks... right?" Violet didn't even sound like she believed what she was saying.

"You should always thank people when they do something good!" Ruby chipped in, just as confused by Violet's reaction as Yang was.

Violet turned back to them fully now, a sad look in her eyes as she looked at the both of them, " _I_ need to say sorry."

Yang reeled back in surprise, "For what!?"

Violet's eyes looked off to the side, refusing to look into Yang's own, "For… not doing something sooner. Not this time, or the last time. If I had done things better…" Violet's words trailed off, too quiet to hear the rest.

' _Is this some weird kind of survivor's guilt even though nobody died?_ ' Yang stood up and punched her on the shoulder lightly, "Don't be ridiculous. You did what you could, when you could, and we're both alive because of it. So stop beating yourself up."

Violet smiled slightly, looking at her shoulder, "That's your job, huh?"

"Damn straight it is," Yang punched a little harder, forcing Violet's body to sway to the side. Yang's expression grew a little somber as Violet started eating finally. She decided to stop the conversation for the moment and talk to Ruby in the meantime, "So Rubes, what was it like on your end?"

Ruby tried to look at both of them with reproach, ' _Adorable_ '. "Well after you two _disappeared_ ," her expression grew cuter, "We weren't too worried at first. You're both good fighters, and if you left together we thought it would be okay… Then the ground started to shake." Ruby shivered, "We were running back when we heard the Grimm screaming. We slowed down when Blake had to stop and hold her… other ears," Ruby pointed at the top of her head, "Then we got there and tried to help." She shrugged, "Not much to tell. We weren't there for any of it," her eyes turned thoughtful at the two of them, "Why did you guys leave anyway?"

"I was trying to spy on team Cardinal," Violet replied between bites.

"And I was following Violet. She kind of... lost me, though."

Violet snorted, "Are you blind? I wasn't even trying to hide from you."

Yang's eyes narrowed, "It's probably because you're so short."

Violet laughed, "I'm two inches shorter than _you_ , at best, and that's just when you're not wearing your high heels."

"I don't wear high heels," Yang frowned.

Violet looked over the side of her bed at Yang's feet in confusion, "But it's Saturday. Shouldn't you be headed off to your other job on the corner soon?"

Yang really did punch her for that one.

Violet rubbed her shoulder and glared at Yang, "I don't remember ordering a dominatrix." Yang raised another first threateningly, eyes turning red, and Violet shied away. Yang nodded, eyes turning back to their usual lavender.

They immediately went red again as Ruby spoke, "What's a dominatrix?" Yang directed the deadliest glare she could at Violet. ' _Fix this,_ ' her eyes demanded.

"Somebody really good at board games?" Violet struggled to come up with something, anything.

"Oh, I like board games."

Violet grinned shakily, eyes glancing at Yang in desperation. Yang shook her head and decided to just leave it at that. Ruby would forget about this anyway. She always did when you brought up adult stuff around her, thankfully. ' _The first creep that lays a hand on her, though…_ ' Yang let her own thoughts trail off. You couldn't plead temporary insanity if the murder was planned.

"Why'd you follow Cardinal?" Yang asked, bringing them back on track.

Violet shrugged, "Didn't like the way they were sneaking off and wanted to see if they had something planned, I guess."

"We told you we scared him off. You don't have to worry about him anymore, Violet."

"I would have accepted that if it was _me_ that I was worried about. People like Cardin that are used to getting their way all the time by bullying other people don't go down without a fight, Yang. Several fights, in Cardin's case."

"So, did you see them plotting anything nefarious?" Yang chided, "Oh that's right, we all almost died, so of course you didn't. Unless _they_ unleashed the deadly Grimm."

Violet turned away, a far off look in her eyes. After a few seconds she just turned back to Yang and shrugged, though, looking defeated. Her eyes glanced over to Ruby as she realized something, "Who have you guys told?"

It was Yang's turn to shrug, "Ozpin told us to keep it a secret. I told Ruby and Blake the truth since they would have figured it out eventually anyway. We haven't told anyone on team Siren," Yang's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "No matter how many times Nora banged on our door last night." Yang sighed, "We're going to have to think of something to tell them."

"Heart attack," Violet suggested.

"Grimm don't have organs."

"Bolt of lightning."

"The sun was out."

"Ruby did it."

"Ruby was with them."

"It tripped."

"Snakes don't have legs."

"Indigestion."

"Nobody got eaten."

"Bad breath."

" _Who_ had bad breath?"

"Jeez, it's like I'm the only one coming up with ideas here," Violet laughed while still trying to look offended.

"Yeah, bad ones," Yang retorted. Ruby was just giggling off on the side.

"Watcha think, Little Red?" Violet turned to Ruby. Her giggling was cut short.

"Can't we just tell them the truth? There's nothing else _to_ tell them," Ruby whined.

Yang and Violet sat in silence for awhile, and eventually they both had to agree with Ruby.

"So, we tell them?" Yang looked at Violet, who nodded.

"We tell them."

* * *

Ruby and Yang left a little while later when Violet told them she was getting tired. They hadn't been gone long though when the door opened again, and Violet sat up in shock. Cardin stepped inside, looking over his shoulder as he closed the door gently. Violet tensed up, preparing all manner of horrible things to set upon him.

Cardin breathed out a sigh of relief once he was inside, "Man, I thought they'd never leave."

"What are you doing here, Cardin?" Violet seethed, letting her voice carry all the venom she could muster. Cardin's eyes widened as he looked at her and raised his hands up in a gesture of peace.

"I'm not looking for a fight," Cardin said hesitantly, still standing near the door instead of approaching her bed at all. ' _A trick, or something else?_ '

"Then what _are_ you here for?" Violet asked, keeping her voice tight to show that she wasn't about to be fooled.

"I…" Cardin put a hand up and rubbed the back of his head, "Look, I've never done something like this before." At Violet's raised eyebrow, he continued, "I wanted to say... thank you…"

Violet's other eyebrow shot up to join the first, surprised by the admission. If she didn't know any better, she would have said he looked genuine about what he was saying. ' _This is just weird._ '

"You jumped in to help when you could have just left us. If it wasn't for you, my entire team would be dead," Cardin admitted, tentatively meeting Violet's gaze.

"What about Yang? She helped too," Violet pressed, keeping her eyes on his face.

Cardin gave a half-hearted laugh, "She did, but she's not the one in the hospital bed because of it, is she?" Cardin shrugged, "That's all I really wanted to say." Cardin turned around to leave.

A shred of an idea popped into Violet's mind, and she spoke quietly as his hand touched the door knob, stopping him in his tracks, "Is that how you would have wanted to be remembered?"

Cardin froze, hesitating as he turned back around, "What do you mean?"

Violet sighed before launching into her desperate bid, "Cardin, to put it bluntly, you've been an ass ever since you got here at Beacon. A racist bigot with a penchant for bullying people weaker than him," Cardin's face flinched at each harsh word, "If you _had_ died yesterday. Is that how you would have wanted to be remembered, as a terrible person that only seemed to care about himself? Because that's how we all would have thought of you."

Cardin was silent as he stared at Violet, appalled at what she had said. After a few moments though, his expression shifted to one of guilt, "That really _is_ how you all would have thought of me, huh?

"But that _isn't_ the person I saw in that clearing. That isn't the person that I chose to _save_. What I saw was a team leader, desperately trying to fend off a Grimm that had already wounded two of his teammates and was threatening another. You could have escaped, left your team to die while you got to safety. Instead, as soon as you could, you made the choice to go and get help. You ran back into that clearing before Goodwitch even did because you _wanted_ to make sure your team was safe."

Cardin's posture changed a little, the sagging of his shoulders retreating as he realized that she was no longer insulting, but praising him.

"As a favor to me. To the person that _did_ save your life. Share a little of that compassion with everyone else. You _are_ a hero, Cardin. You just haven't grown into it yet."

' _Holy hell, I am laying it on thick. Take the hint or I'll kick your ass again, cast or no cast._ '

Cardin stood up straight, eyes focusing and unwavering on Violet's own, "I… I'll try."

"Close enough," Violet replied dryly and nodded towards the door. Cardin got the message and left without another word, head already down in contemplation.

' _Can't I just go a week_ _ **without**_ _trying to fix somebody?_ '

* * *

Blake had gone into Vale to get Violet a gift. After she'd bought what she was looking for, Blake had returned via bullhead and gone straight to the hospital wing. She had some things she needed to say, things to apologize for. Her ears perked up at the sound of a door opening and closing ahead of her.

Blake's feet jarred to a halt, and she put a hand on Gambol Shroud when Cardin stepped out of Violet's room, head down.

"What the hell were _you_ doing in there?" Blake practically growled at him, body shifting down as she got ready to spring into action and tear the bastard to pieces.

Cardin's face shot up, eyes looking at her sadly as he raised his hands. He wasn't scared. He looked... weary. Tired, in a way. ' _What the hell?_ '

"I was just thanking her for saving my team," Cardin replied quietly, stepping to the side of the hallway, "Check for yourself. She's fine. Even I'm…" he paused in silence for a moment, "not _that_ terrible of a person."

Blake kept her hand on Gambol Shroud and one eye on Cardin as she stepped past to Violet's door, giving him a wide berth. A peek through a gap in the shades proved the truth to his words, as Violet was idly drumming her hands against her cast, looking pleased with herself. Blake let her hand fall off her weapon and nodded to Cardin, waiting for him to leave before she composed herself and opened the door.

"Finally, a friendly face!" Violet said excitedly, letting her hands drop to the sides to pretend like she _hadn't_ just been tapping up a storm. Violet's eyes drifted down to Blake's hands, at the book she held.

Blake quickly stepped up to her and held the book out. She knew her cheeks were starting to go pink, she wasn't good at this sort of thing, "I went back to Tukson's and bought you something to pass the time. It's one of my favorite books!"

Violet gasped, eyes wide as her hands pulled back then slowly inched forward, " _Ninja's of Love?_ " she whispered.

Blake balked and dropped the book in Violet's lap, "No! How do you even know about that!?"

"After two weeks, how did I notice the book that you shove into your pillow case when you go to sleep, instead of carefully placing it back on the shelf like all your other precious books?" Violet grinned, "Though I suppose I should have guessed as much. Tukson's slogan _is_ 'Every book under the sun', and that book has never seen the light of day, has it?"

Blake's cheeks had turned a bright shade of red as she threw her hands to her face to hide from the truth, "You can't say _anything_ to the others."

"Yang and I already read parts of it, so sorry about that," Blake groaned, "and she would _kill_ me if I showed it to Ruby, so no worries there. Which one is this, then?" Violet drew her attention back to the book she had _actually_ bought.

Blake spread her fingers to peek through them, mumbling into her hands, "It's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body. I was reading it the first night we met."

"Sounds intense," Blake's ears perked and her hands lowered at the genuine excitement in Violet's voice, "I'm definitely going to read this. Thank you, Blake."

Blake's chest purred at the praise before she could stop herself. Thankfully it looked like Violet hadn't noticed, as she had opened up the book to the first page, "There's something else I needed to say."

Violet didn't look up, still flipping through the first few pages, "Go for it, I'm all ears," she did glanced up after that, a smile playing at her lips, "As much as a human _can_ be, anyway."

Blake shook her head and smiled at the lame joke, giving herself that extra moment to strengthen her resolve, "I needed to say... I'm sorry."

Violet's hands paused as her eyes raised to Blake's, a question clear in her eyes. She waited for Blake to continue at her own speed, though. Blake was thankful for the moment to get her thoughts in order.

"When you were mad at Cardin yesterday, when you said 'He's just a glorified extra', you reminded me of someone. It scared me. _You_ scared me. I started to doubt you, and I'm sorry for that. After all you've done to earn my trust, I shouldn't have thought you were… were like _him_ ," Blake rushed on as Violet's face turned to dismay, "But then you proved me wrong, in so many ways. You _saved_ Cardin and his team. The person I was comparing you to would _never_ have done that."

The two of them let the silence hang in the air as Violet thought over Blake's admission. Violet finally patted the chair next to her, and Blake sat down in it.

"I don't blame you," Violet said simply, shocking Blake as she continued, "I really did want to hurt Cardin for what he had done. I'm not a _monster_ though, Blake. Cardin's team was mostly innocent. They're kind of assholes too, but I think with him as their leader, they just feed off his negativity. Even if it _had_ only been Cardin there… He didn't deserve to die for a little spilt milk. Hell, I'm hoping this will change him for the better. Let him reflect on his _life_ now that he's stared _death_ in the face."

"Is that why he was so depressed when he left?" Blake asked, putting the dots together.

"Yeah, I might have taken it into my own hands to try and jumpstart that revelation," Violet looked somehow both sheepish _and_ proud of herself.

' _If anyone could…_ '

"Speaking of which. Yang filled you in, right?"

Blake nodded, "Can't say I'm not surprised. It's one thing to hear about something, another to see the proof right in front of you."

"Ozpin told us to keep it quiet, but… we're going to tell Weiss and the others. There's no way to really keep it from them," Violet admitted.

Blake shrugged lightly, "Makes sense. I don't like breaking the Headmaster's trust like that, but our hands are tied."

"Ah, he'll get over it," Violet waved away her concern, like the man that held all their lives in his hands was nothing to worry about.

"I'm glad at least one of us won't lose sleep over it," Blake grinned, letting a bit of Violet's nonchalance infect her.

"Nope, you have books for that already."

Blake's face glowed anew, "Okay, that's enough for one day," she stood and walked to the door, before turning back, a smile on her face. "Get some rest."

Violet raised the book and shook it lightly, "In a bit. I have some reading to do. Have a nice night, Blake."

"You too, Violet."

Blake left after that, a slight spring to her step.

* * *

Violet had been released the following day, and was able to go to the cafeteria for lunch instead of having it delivered. Her leg had been stiff for a while, but eventually went back to feeling normal by the time they had finished up with lunch. Team Vibrant had refused to answer any of Siren's questions, looking around the packed cafeteria to get the point across. Once everyone was done eating, they had gone up to team Vibrant's room. Violet, Ruby, Yang, and Blake sat on their desk chairs that they had pulled over near the window, facing Weiss, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, most of which sat on Yang's bed. Nora had taken up Blake's top bunk, and was swinging her legs back and forth over the edge, dangerously close to her teammate's faces. Violet had left it to Yang to tell them the truth. It wouldn't due now to accidentally let something extra slip.

Yang had just wrapped up the last part of their little tale. They sat in silence, waiting for team Siren's reaction.

"This all sounds ridiculous," Weiss said across from them. All of team Siren were leaning forward, staring at Violet's eyes, which was making her very uncomfortable.

"Ooh, ooh! I know! Set this on fire with your eyes!" Nora yelled, tossing down Blake's pillow. There was a distinct ' _thud_ ' that, thankfully, only three members of team Vibrant noticed.

"Uh, how about no," Blake wavered as she picked up her pillow carefully and held it in her lap.

"I don't really want to try and use it again, Nora. It's too dangerous to play with," Violet said evenly, trying to leave no room for argument. As always, Nora failed to pick up on the hint.

"But that's _dumb_! You have super powers! I'd be setting _everything_ on fire!"

"Should I be reporting an arsonist on the loose to the Vale Police Department?" Violet asked in mock worry.

"Snitches get stitches."

"Nora!" Ren admonished, calming her down a little.

"Sorry Ren~!"

"I'm not exactly in a rush to go throw myself or my friends in a life or death situation again," Violet continued, trying to put the entire idea of 'testing it out' to rest.

They all nodded in understanding. Violet just sighed internally to herself. She had really messed up in Patch. The entire ordeal had spiralled out of control from that first failure. Now she had to pretend to have 'super powers' as Nora so affectionately called it. ' _It stops here. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do if I run into something that I can't just set on fire._ _I swear. If I end up with a laundry list of things I need to keep track of, I'm hitting the reset button._ ' She wouldn't, but one could dream. ' _Except I can't do that either..._ '

She was really starting to feel the urge to just go smite something to vent her frustrations out on.

' _Which reminds me…_ '

Violet pulled out her Scroll, connecting to a particular Schnee webpage that she had visited far too often. Weiss noticed through the back of the screen and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Violet shrugged and leaned forward, turning her Scroll around so that Weiss could read what she was ordering correctly. Weiss's eyes widened at the price tag at the bottom, "That's insane."

"Gotta do watcha gotta do," Violet smiled, flipping the phone back around to complete the order, "It's Ruby's fault, anyway."

"What's my fault?" Ruby asked cautiously, eyes darting back and forth between Violet and Weiss.

"Well, somebody wasn't content to shoot Zenith just once, and used her cute little puppy dog eyes so that I would let her shoot it another dozen times," Violet replied, not really upset, but it was funny to see the worry on Ruby's face.

"Is that bad?" Ruby asked meekly.

"You could say that. They cost 1,000 lien apiece to order from the SDC."

"And you let her shoot it that many times!?" Yang looked like she was about to pass out. Ruby had gone green in the face, looking about ready to run to the bathroom and puke.

"I'm a sucker for a cute face. Truly, it is my kryptonite," Violet laughed.

"Your what?" Weiss interrupted.

Violet paused, realizing the minor slip up, "Eh, just something from a comic book I read when I was little. The hero's weakness was a little glowing stone that drained his… semblance." ' _Damn my loose tongue!_ '

Weiss just shrugged lightly. She had no experience with comics.

"Until…" Violet turned her eyes back to the order confirmation email, "next weekend... I only have three shots left."

"You don't sound very worried about that," Ren pointed out.

Violet laughed, "You've seen Zenith go off. If we run into _three_ things during a school week that need to be taken down with _that_ level of extreme prejudice, then something has gone horribly wrong."

"It does still sound terribly wasteful," Pyrrha pressed the issue.

Violet smirked, "There's no kill like overkill."

"That… sounds like a terrible lesson to try to teach others," Ren said evenly.

Violet shrugged, "The things I shoot tend to stay dead."

Yang lowered her head and shook it in sadness, "That poor statue."

"You'd have shot it too if you had to see it everyday."

Violet was forced to explain the joke to team Siren. From there the conversation devolved into more mild topics, as they fell back into just hanging out, enjoying each other's presence. After a while, they started playing games. Violet went back to reading the book Blake had given her, much to the other girl's delight. They spent the rest of the evening together while Violet ordered pizzas for them. After everyone had their fill, and the chatter quieted down from full bellies and tired eyes, Siren excused themselves, and the members of team Vibrant wished each other a peaceful night's rest.

Sleep came easily to all of them.


	12. Karma

They were sitting in the cafeteria a few days later when the unthinkable happened.

Lunch was starting to wind down, the time for the first year's next class with Ms. Goodwitch fast approaching. Team Vibrant and Siren were all still at their seats, in mild conversation between bites, content to try and stretch out the few minutes they had before class. It wasn't that they weren't excited for combat class… they were just the only teams that could put up a fight with each other, and they had each sparred several times with each member of both teams by now. The rest in their class simply weren't on their level. It had even gotten to the point where Pyrrha was sparring against entire teams by herself. Yang and Violet had been the only other two to replicate that feat, if not as easily as Pyrrha had.

Pyrrha was chatting with Weiss about some of her favorite memories during her years as a tournament champion, the people she had met, the more difficult fights she had won. Ruby was oiling Crescent Rose, in preparation for class. Nora had seen a few other girls looking at Ren, and was unsuccessfully trying to convince him to wear a pin that she had written ' _Property of Nora_ ' on in black sharpie. Violet was reading Blake's book. She was close to finishing it, only two chapters away, and had promised Blake that they would discuss it once Violet was done. Her attention kept getting stolen away from it, though, as Yang was excitedly talking about a new Spruce Willis movie she wanted to go see later that night.

"Guys, it's gonna be awesome. Trust me. I watched the trailer for it! 'Dye Hard' is going to be this summer's big box office hit!" Yang loudly proclaimed. The only one actively listening was Blake, but she didn't look very impressed.

"Hmm," the sound Blake made was the very definition of noncommittal, "Yang, you do realize that we're training to fight _monsters_ for a living, right?"

"So!? Our lives aren't half as exciting as Spruce Willis's, even _with_ the monster fighting!"

Violet felt Yang turn her eyes on her, hoping for backup on this one. Violet sighed, "I'll go, if you promise to rein in your voice so I can finish this book before we leave later."

Yang's mouth opened and she pumped a fist into the air, but the shout she was about to make came out instead as a muted, "yeaaah", at a look from Violet. ' _That would've been the fastest promise broken in the history of ever._ '

Violet's eyes caught on to the cafeteria doors opening before she could turn back to her book. Cardin had stepped inside, looking troubled. His gaze was up long enough to see where his team was sitting before his eyes dropped back down, legs carrying him forward towards them while he was still lost in thought.

Velvet stood up from the table she was at, excusing herself to go drop off her tray and leave for the second year's classes. Her eyes fell on Cardin walking towards her as she left the table. Violet saw a look of apprehension fall across the girl's face, her eyes darting between Cardin and Weiss. She resolved to keep walking, but as Cardin drew closer, her gaze became more and more uncertain. With her eyes locked on the bully, she didn't manage to notice the liquid that had spilled on to the ground where she was about to step. With a startled cry, her feet slipped out from under her, right as Cardin was passing.

On pure instinct, Cardin reached out and grabbed a hold of Velvet, stopping her fall. The two stood their awkwardly for a few seconds, neither sure what to do, before Cardin dipped down and picked up her tray along with the leftover wrappers that had been on it. Wordlessly, he handed them to Velvet and walked away to his team, sitting on the bench with them and ignoring their stares.

Velvet's face was stuck in absolute bewilderment as she left the cafeteria.

Violet turned back to her book, a self satisfied look on her face that only she and Blake understood. The rest of the table erupted in whispers, as those that had seen what happened pointed it out to the others.

" _Cardin Winchester just helped a faunus!?_ "

" _It looked like an accident to me. He didn't even mean to._ "

" _You're sure it was Cardin, and not some body double?_ "

" _This isn't one of your Spruce Willis movies, Yang!_ "

" _Good thing too. It would have ended with an explosion if it was._ "

Violet let their voices drown out as she turned back to the book. Her eyes didn't travel across the pages in front of her, though. Violet wasn't reading. She was scheming.

* * *

Cardin leaned against his hand, propped up by his elbow on the rail in front of him. Goodwitch's class had gone as usual so far. The members of team Vibrant and Siren had trounced all the other students they were pitted against, then used some of their remaining weekly challenges to fight each other instead. Honestly, even though he would _never_ admit it to any of them, their skills were incredible. Even the kid that had gotten in two years early showed how adept she was with her weapon and her semblance, using them in tandem to unleash attacks that were horrifyingly swift _and_ accurate.

Right now, she was fighting the yellow haired one. Her sister, if he recalled correctly. How two kids could come out looking so different was beyond him. They were both complete powerhouses, though. The older sister more so than the younger, if only because of the age difference. Cardin had taken to observing both team's fighting styles more closely over the last few days, trying to learn something from them that he just couldn't from the other teams. They might have been the titans that ruled the class, but he was still a cut above the rest of the other first years.

It was disheartening, to say the least. He had reached a plateau, one that he didn't know how to rise above. He wasn't learning anything from the other students, not really, and his fights with Vibrant and Siren were over faster than he could think. The gap in their skill levels was just too dominant.

The fight between the two sisters came to an abrupt end, as the older one that had been getting pressed towards the edge of the stage turned that momentum around on the younger, catching her scythe with her aura protected arm and pulling the girl into an overhead throw that carried the younger one out of bounds. Watching from above, it had been clear that she was giving ground on purpose, drawing the younger girl closer to the stage to end the fight with a ring out.

The kid got up with a laugh, though. Not demoralized, as Cardin would have been. Instead the two girls embraced, talking over what they had been thinking as they fought, sharing their experiences to learn from them in a way that Cardin had never been able to.

As they returned to their seats, Goodwitch returned to the stage, turning her gaze up to the students in attendance, "We have time for one more spar today. If anyone would like to use your challenge, please make it known." Cardin watched Violet stand and shook his head. ' _Going to try and beat Pyrrha again?_ ' The girl was relentless. Her eyes drifted past the championship fighter though and rested on Cardin, who couldn't resist swallowing in dread.

"Cardin Winchester, I choose you," Violet said gravely, a quirk to her lips that went unnoticed. He stood up straight from where he had been slumped and nodded uncertainly. She just walked out of the stands and off to the women's changing room, though, and Cardin had no choice but to follow suit into the men's. His mind was a haze of panic and a forlorn understanding that he didn't stand a chance. Cardin wasn't sure what had started this, ' _Had she seen what happened in the cafeteria? Maybe she thought it was rude that I didn't say anything._ _Maybe she thinks I was the reason Velvet nearly fell again in the first place._ ' All he could do was try his best.

The class was silent as Cardin exited the locker room. Violet was already on the stage, rubbing a hand furiously on her ridiculous greatsword as if she had seen a spot of dirt. Cardin sighed, her odd personality didn't dull her skills, unfortunately. He composed himself as best he could, and waited for the beat down he was about to receive. Cardin lifted his mace in his right hand and took up his fighting stance, preparing to at least defend himself.

But, as Goodwitch signalled for the fight to start, Violet simply stuck her greatsword into the arena floor in front of herself, resting her arms forward on it while she gave him a critical look. Cardin felt exposed, under that gaze.

"You need to bend your knees more. You're a big guy, and you're leaving your center of gravity too high up. It would be pretty easy to knock you over."

Cardin just stared in confusion, ' _What is she doing?_ ' Violet rolled her eyes at him, and said with a wink of one dazzling eye, "Just trust me, okay?"

Cardin nodded hesitantly and bent his knees a little. Violet glared, and Cardin nearly staggered as a massive weight suddenly dropped him lower. Cardin's eyes darted around, his aura instinctively flaring up to defend himself from the attack.

"Stop that," the girl grumbled, drawing his eyes back to her. A bead of sweat had formed on her forehead as she stared at him in concentration. ' _Is this her doing?_ '

Cardin let his aura die down, and her expression relaxed. He felt the weight fluctuate slightly, the shift making his body raise and lower a little bit. His muscles didn't expect the sudden changes. He was applying a certain amount of strength to hold himself up, and when the weight lightened, his body rose slightly. When it grew heavier, his knees bent back down.

Violet nodded her approval after about fifteen seconds, "That's much better. You should spread your legs out further apart too, though."

Cardin just shrugged and spread his legs further apart until she seemed satisfied with their positioning. Cardin felt his arm slowly raise as the weight was lifted off them, pulling his weapon up and closer to the middle of his body.

"From there you can react more quickly to an attack on either side, and above. It's easier to start high, since lowering your weapon down to block a strike aimed at your legs has the added benefit of gravity working with you to get it down faster. Just don't block your own line of sight with your mace," the girl gave his stance one more look before nodding, "Now, attack me."

Cardin felt his body weight vanish, suddenly feeling light on his feet. Even as he moved forward to attack, Violet kept talking.

"You don't have Pyrrha's speed, which is what you _need_ if you want to get into my guard before I can counter. You have a much heavier build. If you want to overcome the difference in the length of our weapons, you need to try and bait out an attack first. Calculate the reach of your opponent, and keep yourself light of foot when you approach. Once you reach that range," she punctuated that by swinging her greatsword at his head, which he quickly stepped back out of reach from, "let the person attack, and capitalize on their mistake." She comically continued holding her greatsword out to the side, where it had stopped after missing him.

Cardin got the hint, and stepped back into her reach. She actually swung it this time, forcing him back. The instant it whistled by, though, he stepped into her guard and swung his mace horizontally at her head. Cardin was shocked as she dipped beneath the blow, letting her greatsword's weight carry her into a spin that ended with her left fist slamming into his stomach. He staggered back from surprise, more than anything. There hadn't been nearly as much power in it as there was during their first duel.

"Swing lower. A blow to the head can be ducked too easily. Aim for center mass, and be ready to step into the swing so that they have nowhere to dodge."

The odd lesson kept going from there. Violet showed him how to parry, a better way to set his body to block her massive blows, how to follow up on an attack without winding up as much. After another ten minutes, she started fighting at what seemed like half speed. The entire time, she was manipulating his body and giving him more suggestions. She made his arms heavier as she swung an attack towards him, lowering his guard to block more effectively. She removed the weight from his body when he was going to get caught in a horizontal slash, allowing him to backpedal out of range instead of taking the blow to the chest. On and on she fluctuated the weight of his limbs and weapon, until he started to move in those ways ahead of the weight transfer, getting used to the movements Violet was drilling into him.

The strain was becoming clear on her face. Violet's had broken out in sweat, despite the relatively slow pace of the fight. She finally stopped after the fifteen minute mark, getting a breather. Violet looked up at him and gave a half smile, "Alright, time to end this."

Cardin felt the various manipulations on his body fade away, back in complete control. He quickly moved his body back to a close approximation of what she had shown him, and waited for her to attack. Violet paused, nodded her head once after looking at him, and from a relaxed position, crossed the intervening space in a flash that he still wasn't expecting.

As Cardin lay on the ground thirty seconds later, his aura in the red, weapon far out of reach, and a greatsword hovering in front of his face, he would at least be grateful that he'd lasted longer than in their first fight.

Violet grinned, returning the greatsword to her back, and offered him a hand, "Can't expect to see too much improvement after one day. Challenge me tomorrow and we'll pick up where we left off."

Cardin accepted the hand and felt his body get lighter again as she pulled him off the floor. She turned away, heading back to the women's locker room.

Cardin could only manage one word as she walked away, "Why?"

Violet turned around and gave him a considering look, then shrugged, "Good karma? An olive branch? Stay on the hero's path and you'll see how much stronger you'll get because of it."

' _So she saw me helping Velvet?_ ' Cardin was too tired to smile, ' _Yeah... I could get used to this._ '

* * *

"We already tried the stick, I just wanted to test out the carrot," Violet said, once again trying to explain why she had been so nice to Cardin in Glynda's class earlier. She had managed to evade their questions long enough to get a shower in, and was sitting in bed with Blake's book propped up against her knees. Even the faunus was sending questions her way, though. Violet sighed and shut it, there was only half an hour before the movie anyway, and Nora had popped her head in to let them know her team was ready to leave.

Violet set the book down next to her and stood up, stretching. That 'training session' with Cardin had been fatiguing, in more ways than one. They all headed to the door, Yang in front as she swung it open for them, "Ahh, yeah! Girl's night out!" Team Siren was already waiting for them.

"Ehem."

"And Ren," Yang corrected with a smirk before setting off down the hallway.

They arrived at the theater with only a few minutes to spare. Violet bought copious amounts of snacks to divvy out while the others got into the theater, hoping to snag seats for all of them. Violet followed soon after, arms loaded with sweets and popcorn that she quickly dispensed to her friends. Luckily, they had managed to get a row for themselves, a long line of brightly colored teens that stretched out across its entirety. One or two people were giving Yang a scathing stare from a couple rows behind them, though, so maybe luck had nothing to do with it. The last seat had been left for Violet, with Blake on her left and the isle on her right. The other members of team Vibrant were past Blake, then Siren even further down, with Ren on the far end next to Nora.

The movie was just starting as Violet sat, " _Perfect timing._ " The movie played through the opening credits, music loud enough that even Violet's ears were starting to feel it. She'd never actually gone to a movie theater in this life, it was practically deafening.

Violet flinched when she felt something push up against her, then looked over. Blake had buried the side of her head against Violet's arm and shoulder, using her to cover half her ears on that side. Violet could see the pained expression on her face and changed her position slightly, better covering her ears for her. Blake looked at her thankfully, if a little red in the cheeks, and they went back to watching the movie. Violet felt Blake bundle up next to her in the dark, but ignored it. ' _Whatever she needs to do to enjoy herself._ '

The movie was fun, if a little played up. ' _If I ever say that many one liners during a fight…_ ' The ending was satisfying, though. A few people cheered and clapped in the audience as people started to stand, ' _Why? They can't hear you clapping…_ ' Violet stood up from her seat and Blake nearly fell over in surprise. ' _When did she start leaning against me so hard?_ ' Violet shrugged and gave Blake a hand before leading the two teams out of the theater. It wasn't until she stepped out into the cold night air that Violet realized how late it was.

The second thing she noticed were the red and blue lights flashing just down the street. Violet smirked back at Nora who was just then seeing the lights for the first time.

"I'm sorry, Nora. I had to turn you in."

Nora gasped, looking between Violet and the police cars down the street, "Traitor!"

"I wonder what happened?" Pyrrha interrupted, talking more to herself than them. She went on tip toe, trying to see down the street.

"Let's check it out!" Yang smacked her fists together, apparently still pumped up from the movie, and took off towards the lights.

"You really shouldn't run at the police, Yang," Ren cautioned, but she was already gone.

The rest followed more slowly. As they approached, it became apparent that it was a dust shop that had been robbed. Glass from the windows was shattered outwards, and a briefcase half-packed with dust crystals was spilled out across the pavement inside the perimeter the police had set up. There were splashes of blood across the pavement and a person's white chalk outline in front of the door. All things considered, it looked like someone had been murdered. Their group was able to catch a bit of the officer's conversation as they stood near the yellow tape, faced away to look over the scene of the crime.

"Nah, it just doesn't make a lick'a sense. Who needs that much dust?"

"You thinkin' the uh, White Fang?"

"Yeah I'm thinkin' we don't get paid enough."

Blake stepped back, motioning the rest of them away from the police, "Why would the _White Fang_ rob a dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale?"

"You don't think it was them? Why not?" Weiss asked.

Blake shook her head, "No. I don't think it was them. This isn't the White Fang's usual M.O."

"And how do _you_ know so much about how the White Fang operates?" Weiss replied quietly, looking closely at Blake as she said it.

"I… I…" Violet grabbed Blake's hand as she started to step backwards, holding her in place. Violet smiled lightly, waiting for Blake to look calm down. Blake's face was a mixture of fear and anxiety, but slowly relaxed. She looked back at Violet with appreciation.

Blake turned to Weiss and clutched Violet's hand harder, standing firm before looking back into Weiss's eyes, "I _used_ to be a member of the White Fang. I quit before coming to Beacon, and I don't intend on _ever_ going back to them."

Weiss seemed hesitant, doubtful. She stared at Blake, a quiver in her shoulders.

"Weiss," Violet said just her name, to get her attention. Weiss's eyes latched on to hers as she spoke, "You can trust her."

Weiss looked back to Blake, her face a twist of so many competing emotions that it became unreadable, "Just tell me one thing, Blake..." at Blake's nod she continued, "...Did you ever kill anyone?"

Blake's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously, "No! No, I left _because_ they were getting too violent. The White Fang that I knew was gone. They… they've gone too far."

Weiss let out a trembling sigh of relief, "Then we have nothing to worry about."

They all stood around in awkward silence until Ren suggested the sleep on it. Both Weiss and Blake were quiet, deep in thought for the trip back to their dorms in Beacon. Yang tried to pick up a conversation about the movie, but stopped after a while. No one else was in the mood.

The teams still wished each other farewell before parting, heading into their rooms. Yang leaned against the bookshelf in front of the window, Blake sat down on Yang's bed, and Ruby collapsed on to Violet's.

"As much as I love a cuddle-buddy, Little Red," Ruby giggled as Violet used her semblance and picked her up, tossing her into her bunk up top, "You're a million years too young for me."

"You're only two years older!"

"And in a million years I'll still be two years older," Violet laughed.

The group fell back into silence for a minute as Ruby and Violet both got themselves situated.

"So, we're investigating, right?" Violet asked finally, looking towards the two silent girls across from them.

"Isn't that the police's job?" Yang asked, shooting a protective look at Ruby.

"Would Spruce Willis leave it to the cops?" Ruby shot back, "I can handle myself, Yang."

"I know you can, Ruby. That doesn't mean I need to be happy about this."

"Didn't you hear what they said? They're not interested in following up on the robbery. If someone is collecting that much dust, _we_ have to know who it is, White Fang or not," Blake added in, giving Violet a nod.

"Blake is right. Whatever they're planning, it can't be good," Violet tacked on.

Yang sighed and turned to look out the window, "Alright, alright. We'll do some investigating… What's the plan?"


	13. Bad Influences

Blake peered over the edge of the rooftop, keeping an eye on the dust shop across the street, "Is everyone in position?"

" _For the tenth time, Blake. Yessss,_ " Yang's voice replied back over their comms, feigning annoyance. You could always tell when Yang was actually upset, or just pretending to be. One had a lot more fire involved, both in looks and voice.

" _Aye aye, el capitán!_ " Violet had used a different response every time she had asked, half of them barely recognizable as meaning 'yes'. Blake at least understood what 'aye aye' meant.

"Ruby?" Blake asked into the following silence.

" _Oh-uh, sorry! I was pressing the wrong button! Everything's fine over here._ "

Their team had spread out across half a dozen streets in Vale for two nights now, creating a web of eyes to keep a watch on six different dust shops. Now they were just waiting for the robbers to fall into it. They had stolen from nearly every other dust shop in Vale, pushing their way out of the warehouse district, or so it seemed. These six shops were the most likely to get targeted, or at least they hoped so. Last night had been a total bust. No one had been robbed, but Blake and Violet had managed to convince the sisters to come out again for another night.

Blake shivered in the light wind that blew over the rooftops, and sighed. So far tonight had been another bust. It was getting late, nearly midnight, and there hadn't been hide nor hair of their perpetrators. ' _Maybe they already collected enough dust._ ' The idea didn't bode well. Their only other lead was that it seemed as if they were coming from the warehouse district, but that district was huge. It would be completely impractical for four girls to scour the entire thing. More likely if they brought team Siren into it, but even then… ' _There's too much ground to cover. This is our best bet._ '

Still, it was late, and they had classes tomorrow. Blake hadn't even done her homework yet. She'd been too focused on planning the investigation and looking into which stores had been hit already. Blake brought her radio back up to press the button down, ready to call it a night. Her finger froze over it, though. The quiet street had been interrupted by the sounds of an approaching vehicle. Blake let the radio fall back down and crept back into the shadows of the rooftop she was on. A black, unmarked van came around the corner, windows tinted, and pulled up in front of the dust shop across the street.

"I think I have something over here. Hold on," Blake said, pulling her radio back up quickly to whisper into it.

The van had parked directly in front of the shop. The driver's side was angled towards her, but with the tinted windows, she couldn't tell who was driving it. Blake heard the sliding door on the other side of the van open, along with the front passenger door. The passenger door slammed shut, and Blake could see orange hair capped with a black and red bowler's hat just over the top of the van.

"It's Torchwick," Blake followed up her previous message. Ruby had given them a description of the man when they were considering other culprits. Blake breathed out a sigh of relief. The other girls radioed back, letting her know they were on their way. " _It's not the White-_ " The thought was squashed down brutally as she saw members of the White Fang stepping out of the back and side of the van, weapons in hand and masks on their faces.

Blake's feet hit the street below before she had even thought to move. She drew Gambol Shroud from her back as gunfire rang out ahead of her. The sound of metal piercing glass told her they had shot out a window. Blake vaulted the van, taking in the scene in front of her the moment before her foot connected with a White Fang member's head. He flew forward, landing in a heap on the ground. ' _No aura. Better for us, then._ '

Torchwick spun in place at the sound, bringing up his cane gun. ' _Seriously, how dapper is_ _**too**_ _dapper?_ ' Blake left a clone, and shifted in a roll to the side. Torchwick didn't fire, though. He would have shot the van they just came out of.

"You're not the one I was expecting. Is your little friend here?" Torchwick asked, giving Blake a frown. His eyes darted up and down the street. ' _Does he mean Ruby?_ '

Blake took that moment to pounce, crossing the distance and swinging Gambol Shroud at his chest. "Tch, rude much?" Torchwick taunted, his cane came up between them in an instant, faster than Blake had counted on. She was forced to leave a clone and flip backwards as two of the White Fang's swords slashed down at her from either side. The White Fang charged at her recklessly, untrained and full of openings. Blake waded into the frey, dodging their swings even as she countered. A clone here, backflip into a kick there.

As much as Blake had denounced the White Fang, though, she couldn't bring herself to do any real harm to them. They were still faunus, her past brothers in arms, and they had no aura. Her attacks were only meant to debilitate, but holding back was making it much more difficult. Pulling her punches, only dealing blows to nonlethal parts of the body, was taking too much concentration. Blake didn't notice quickly enough when Torchwick stepped through the crowd around her.

His cane came down across her back, knocking her forward into one of the White Fang that she had been dodging away from. His sword carved across her chest, aura sparking from both of the massive blows. The two attacks knocked her off balance and sent her to her knees. In desperation, she activated her semblance again, this time intent on escaping the group. Blake heard a shot as she rematerialized and felt the shock wave of heat wash over her as she was blown off her feet. Blake was propelled through the shop window by the blast, glass shattering around her. Shards raked across her aura as it flickered and broke under the strain. She rolled back into a crouch as well as she could when she landed, eyes darting up to see Torchwick cockily strolling in through the front door. He raised his cane again, aiming it at her feet.

"Now, tell me where your little friends are."

"Right here!" With a blast of Crescent Rose, Ruby blurred through the hole in the window that Blake had made, massive scythe already deployed and screaming towards Torchwick's chest. He was forced to throw himself backwards out of the way in a panic, back into the street where the rest of the White Fang were.

"Nice to see you too, Red!" Torchwick replied haughtily, pulling himself back up and brushing himself off. Ruby didn't follow, but stood her ground in front of Blake, scythe at the ready. Blake stood back up shakily. Her aura was broken, her arms and legs dripping blood from the cuts the glass had made when she fell.

Torchwick's eyes narrowed as he took in the situation, "I guess I'll call it a night for now." He motioned for the White Fang to get back into the vehicle. They hesitantly followed his silent order, many of them limping or holding wounds as they got back in the van and slammed the sliding door shut. Ruby's body lowered into the stance she always adopted before one of her semblance infused dashes. Blake put a hand on her shoulder, "Not without the others."

Torchwick had tensed up, but now eased as he opened the passenger door, "Enjoy this little victory while you can. The shops were drying up anyway, and we've got bigger fish to fry!"

Blake got a brief glimpse of the driver before Torchwick had climbed in and shut the window tinted door, blocking off sight. The van roared back to life as it took off, leaving a small column of smoke in its wake.

Blake dropped back down to a knee, breathing heavily. She was a mess. There were several shards of glass sticking out of her body in various places, not all of them had just cut across her as she rolled over them. Yang arrived a few moments later, eyes going red and hair exploding up past her shoulders as her eyes took in Blake's wounds. Furious red eyes darted down the street, but the van had already turned the corner, far out of reach for any of the three.

"Where's Violet?" Ruby asked into the silence.

* * *

Violet hummed along with Zenith as it reached its peak charge. She had been the furthest away from Blake, but heard the van as it approached the street she was on. It would cross the intersection in front of her soon enough, and she was waiting for it.

The black tinted van came roaring down the street. A smile twisted Violet's face as she pulled the trigger.

' _Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker._ '

The shot caught the van directly through the front engine compartment. The force of it blasting a hole straight through to the other side and whipped the van sideways, tires catching in a direction they weren't made to spin, flipping it on its side. It screeched across the road, sparks flying in all directions before it finally came to a stop forty feet later, billowing smoke out of where the engine _had_ been only seconds before. Violet approached leisurely as White Fang members climbed out the 'side' door and out the back, clearly dazed and disoriented.

"What in blazes was that!?" Torchwick yelled, pulling himself up out of the vehicle. His eyes settled on Violet, but she had already transformed Zenith back into its greatsword form. She couldn't use it again so soon anyway. The only sign that it had been her weapon to fire off the shot were the small vents that had opened up along the blade, usually hidden, but now allowing the heat trapped inside to poor out, ventilated by the wind dust that circulated within.

Torchwick grumbled, eyes narrowing as he kept them on her and dropped off the side of the van. The White Fang had finally recovered, although some of them were still wounded, likely from a fight with against the others. Torchwick's eyes looked over them, his confidence rising when it appeared that Violet was alone against all of them. "Well? Get her."

Violet smiled as they charged. This would be all too easy. She let them run to her, leaving Torchwick thirty or so feet away as the fight began. Violet didn't want her friends to think she was a murderer, and killing these White Fang here would certainly upset Blake, but where Blake had to hold back while using a smaller weapon meant primarily for slashing… Bones broke under the weight of Zenith's strikes, as Violet used the flat of the blade with reckless abandon. The White Fang members screamed in pain when she hit them, immediately disengaging as they nursed shattered collar bones and arms. Several of them went down in a heap, unconscious in seconds from glancing blows to the head. The last few backed up, looking to Torchwick uncertainly. They fled, not willing to risk his ire _or_ fight the crazed teenager with a greatsword.

Violet started walking towards Torchwick again, keeping a slow but confident pace. She halted, though, as a mess of brown and pink hair popped out of the passenger door, followed by a pair of eyes that _promised_ murder. Violet kept the confident smile on her face, even though she was reconsidering the situation in her mind. ' _Torchwick I can take. Torchwick_ _ **and**_ _Neo?_ ' She didn't like her chances. ' _I'll try and throw them off. Make them think I really can take both of them. Hopefully they'll just run._ '

"Ah, Neo! Great to see ya. Sorry, I didn't know you were in there," Violet slipped her smile into a mocking grin, digging Zenith's point into the road in front of her to lean against as she had with Cardin.

"Do you know this girl, Neo?" Torchwick gave her a questioning look. Neo's face went from pure murder, to a frown. She turned to Torchwick and shrugged, clearly confused by the development.

"She doesn't, but I know her well enough," Violet interjected with a sigh and leaned harder against her greatsword, "It appears we are at an impasse. Even with the two of you here, you can't beat me. Unfortunately, with Neo's semblance, I can't catch you either," Violet shrugged, "Let's just call this night a wash, eh? You didn't get your dust. I failed to capture you."

"You seriously think you can take both of us?" Torchwick brought his cane up threateningly, but Violet could see the doubt in his eyes. ' _Good._ '

"Well, I _would_ want to take you in alive... If you force my hand, though," Violet switched Zenith back into its railgun form and dropped a shot into it, letting it charge menacingly, "You could press the issue and end up as a red stain across the top of that van behind you." She added a smile for good measure as she leveled Zenith in his direction.

Torchwick eyed her gun. It was still steaming, but the lightning dust had enough of a charge left in it to spark between the coils. ' _Its his first time seeing it. He can't tell it's charge is low._ ' His eyes flicked back to the foot wide hole punched through the van's engine and the smoke that still billowed up out of it.

"Neo… Let's go."

Neo nodded, even though Roman wasn't looking at her. She grabbed his hand, bowed to Violet with a cocky grin on her face that she had to have learned from Torchwick, and a moment later, shattered into glass onto the pavement along with him.

Violet shifted Zenith back into its greatsword form and returned it to her back, feeling like Yang's catchphrase was the only appropriate way to describe events.

' _Well that was a thing._ '

* * *

The police had arrived before the White Fang members regained consciousness, but Violet didn't stick around to be questioned. She did _not_ want to explain the giant hole left in the shop that had been on the other side of the van. Nor the hole in the building after that one, or the building after that one… Thankfully no one had been hurt by the blast, but Violet still chided herself for being so careless. She'd been too caught up in the moment to consider the collateral damage Zenith's path might cause. ' _Damn it Spruce Willis._ '

Their team was back at Beacon, in their dorm. Violet had just finished picking the glass out of Blake's wounds to wash and bandage them. Ozpin would know who had fired the shot once he heard about it on the news tomorrow, but she wasn't eager to tell him herself, and Blake going to the hospital wing would draw his attention too soon. Blake's aura had started to recover by the time they got back to their dorm, anyway. The bandages were just there to slow the bleeding until her aura could patch her up properly. Blake thanked her and they headed back out into the dorm, where Yang and Ruby were pacing. Their eyes lit up in worry at the sight of Blake in bandages.

"I'm fine guys, really," Blake smiled and waved for them to calm down. They both did with a sigh, sitting down on the lower bunk beds. Ruby on Violet's and Yang on her own.

"Blake already filled me in on what happened at the shop," Violet told them, as she and Blake moved in front of the window, both backed up against the bookshelf.

"What about you?" Ruby asked, letting the question hang in the air.

"I took out the van and fought off the White Fang that came after me," Violet replied. At a look from Blake she continued, "I broke bones and gave a few concussions, but they'll all live. Torchwick escaped after that. He has a brown and pink haired midget with him that can create glass illusions. I wasn't able to follow them after they vanished." Violet shrugged, raising her hands, palm up in a ' _what can you do_ ' motion.

"This might have been our only chance," Blake mumbled loud enough for them all to hear.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked. She hadn't been there to hear Torchwick's parting words.

"Torchwick said they were on to bigger fish since the shops were drying up," Blake answered, brows furrowing in concentration as she tried to remember the exact wording he had used.

' _Do I want the fight at the docks to go down? We should be able to handle it, even with Neo there, and I know exactly where it'll happen. I just need to come up with a reason why I would know…_ '

Violet slapped herself on the forehead, drawing the rest of the girl's attention to her before pulling her Scroll out of her pocket and pulling a certain webpage back up. She tossed it to Blake, who caught it deftly and looked over the screen.

"Weiss wasn't kidding, that's a lot of zeroes," Blake replied, not sure what she was supposed to be looking at.

"No, no, look at the date," Violet replied, reaching over to scroll down the webpage and point out the delivery date, "My dust cells are coming in tomorrow, probably along with another shipment of dust from the SDC. What did Torchwick tell you? That they were going after bigger fish? It sounds to me like they're going to attack the docks to go after the shipment directly." Blake's eyes widened, as did Yang and Ruby's as they considered her words.

"That's a lot of dust," Yang chipped in with a forced laugh.

"Which is exactly why we can't just let them have it," Violet finished, turning to look at each of them in turn. They nodded, somewhat hesitantly.

"We'll just have to go down into Vale early after classes tomorrow to avoid Ozpin, scope the place out, then sit and wait while we keep an eye on the place."

They nodded along with the plan, but Violet saw Yang's head tilt when she brought up Ozpin, "And why exactly are we avoiding Ozpin?"

"Ehhhhh, you've seen what happens when I fire Zenith off, right?"

"Yeahhhhh," Yang's face grew worried.

"I maayyyy have not thought about that when I shot the van. And that shot may have gone straight through it and then through… a few, buildings behind it."

Their faces all betrayed the shock they felt as they stared at her, wide eyed. Violet raised her hands in a placating gesture, "Nobody got hurt. I made sure of that before the police even got there. It was just, you know, property damage."

"How could you be so careless!?" Blake glared at her from a foot away.

Violet put a hand on her shoulder but looked at Yang instead, "I blame Spruce Willis. He's a bad influence on my young, impressionable mind."

"Wow, and I thought Blake was the terrorist," Yang laughed. She sobered up when Blake's glare whipped in her direction, "Ex-terrorist, my bad."

"As long as no one was hurt," Ruby chipped in, "Just be more careful next time."

"Eh, I only have two shots left anyway, and I'll be stuck like that for a while if we let Torchwick get that shipment," Violet replied. Her hand moved off Blake's shoulder and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. Blake's glare softened, the tension in her body fading away under Violet's hand. ' _Did I find the kitty's sweet spot? Normally that's behind the ears..._ ' Violet idly let her hand continue its motion across Blake's back as she turned her attention back to the conversation.

"Alright, so we go to the docks, save the shipment, capture Torchwick, and get home in time for dinner," Yang nodded along to her own version of how she thought events should play out.

"I doubt he's going to attack the docks that early. We should probably get dinner on the way and be home in time to get enough sleep before classes tomorrow," Violet corrected.

"Good enough for me," Yang shrugged.

"Alright! Let's catch this guy!" Ruby yelled excitedly, drumming her feet against the floor.

Violet pulled away from Blake, ' _Did she just sigh?_ ', and hoisted Ruby up into her bed. It was nearly two in the morning and they _did_ have school tomorrow. Violet eyed the book as she rolled on to her bed, but decided it was best to save it for later. She needed her rest now. The last couple chapters would have to wait.

Violet felt a pair of eyes on her and turned in time to see Blake's head whip away, ' _Firing Zenith off like that must have really upset her. I can kind of understand why. I'll be sure to be more careful in the future._ '

The group gave a collective 'good night' and turned the lights off. When the hairs on the back of Violet's neck stood up though, she got the sneaking suspicion that Blake was stilling looking at her in the dark. ' _Very careful, then._ '


	14. Gods and Monsters

Violet idly flipped her last extra lightning dust cell between her fingers as she stood on a nearby rooftop, keeping a close eye on the docks below. The other cell was already safely housed in her weapon, but she wasn't sure if she would use it tonight. ' _There's at least fifty cargo containers down there. If one goes up in an explosion…_ ' It wouldn't be a pretty sight. Anyone in the vicinity would certainly die. Violet sighed and tucked the extra cell away. ' _Not unless I have to…_ '

Vibrant was spread across the warehouse rooftops that connected to this specific dock. They'd been here for a few hours now. The dust shipment had arrived shortly after they did and the activity on the docks had finally died down over the last half an hour as various employees went home, cargo stacked and ready to be sorted through. Violet had no way of knowing exactly which container held the cells she had ordered, but she wasn't about to go look.

Their conversations had died down around the same time, reduced to mere check ups every few minutes. Violet could tell they were nervous. She couldn't blame them. ' _I've been through one too many situations like this one,_ ' she mused, leaning back against the wall behind her. Violet could let herself remember those previous lives without it hurting as much anymore. The pain had been reduced to a dull ache when she thought back on them these days. Not that she had much time to between classes, hanging out with her friends, and now their 'investigation'. They all came together to eat away at her time. Violet was enjoying herself, though, and that was all that mattered in the end.

" _Check in,_ " Blake's voice buzzed lowly over the radio channel. Violet might have had more past experience with situations like this, but that hadn't stopped her from being impressed with Blake's expertise. The girl knew the tricks, knew the requirements for something like this to go down well. Her time in the White Fang had not been wasted as _just_ Adam's cronie, it seemed. Blake was so much and more.

" _Red clear,_ " Ruby said quietly over the line.

" _Gold clear,_ " Yang followed up.

"Regal clear," Violet finished, eyes still scanning the docks.

From her reckoning, this event had been pushed forward about a week. Perhaps her ordering over twenty thousand lien worth of dust had pushed the SDC's schedule up. She was one of their favorite customers, after all. ' _Who doesn't love someone that throws money at them?_ ' That meant no Penny as backup, though. If anything was going to need Zenith's tender attention, it would be any bullheads foolish enough to try a strafe run on her or her friends. ' _And they'll be in the sky, so_ _ **I**_ _won't hit the containers at least. The bullheads, though..._ '

" _Hold on, I've got something here,_ " Yang's voice came back over the line, " _Three o'clock, off the shore._ "

Violet let her eyes drift across the horizon towards the west. It took her a moment, but she spotted the grey dot, slowly growing in size as it approached the coast. ' _Were they hiding their bullheads on Patch, or did they angle out across the ocean before heading back in to hide where their base is?_ ' A second grey speck dropped out of the clouds above, followed by a third, all following the first and converging in their direction.

" _The first bullhead is going to arrive earlier than the rest. We should try to take out the people in it fast before the other two have a chance to land,_ " Blake's suggestion came through. No one argued. ' _Divide and conquer is always nice._ '

Violet took one final look around the docks, and seeing no movement, launched herself over the ledge, using her semblance to break her fall and come up in a roll. Violet turned to see her teammate getting down in a similar way. Blake was ridiculously acrobatic, and replicated Violet's fall without any assistance from a semblance. She hardly broke her momentum and turned her roll into a sprint as she took off across the docks to get into position. Violet saw a flash of red and yellow in the distance, Ruby and Yang also descending in their own ways as they all moved closer.

Violet managed to find the gap between two stacks of containers that Blake was hiding in. Ruby and Yang appeared, each in different gaps across from where she and Blake were. "How many White Fang do you think can fit in a single bullhead?" Violet asked quietly. The distant sound of the bullhead's engines made a low rumble through the air.

"Fifteen, usually. More when they don't have to fly far, but if they want to carry cargo containers out of here, I'd guess ten, no more than twelve apiece," Blake replied. She had taken off her bow already. Her ears swivelled in the direction of the approaching bullheads.

The rumble grew to a dull roar as the first bullhead passed over the top of their hiding place, engines exuding the fire dust that was used to power it. The bullhead hovered over the docks, thirty feet up, slowly spinning to face back towards the ocean before drifting down for its landing. Almost a dozen White Fang members stepped out, guns at the ready while they eyed their surroundings.

"Would you animals hurry it up? What am I paying you for?" Torchwick yelled as he stepped down the ramp behind them. Despite his words, he also took a moment to check his surroundings. Satisfied, he returned to berating the faunus. ' _Three, two, one, aaaaaand… there's the psychopath_ ' Neo stepped out of the bullhead as well, umbrella tucked across her shoulders as she looked over everything with a vicious smirk.

Blake tensed in front of her, and Violet followed suit. ' _Any second now…_ '

A shot from Crescent Rose broke the silence, as her ice dust infused sniper round slammed into one of the bullhead's engines. The ice expanded in a brilliant cascade that covered the turbine. With a sudden snapping sound, the turbine erupted in a plume of black smoke and flames, crippling the left engine and rendering the bullhead dead on the ground. ' _Good thing I made sure we had a 'they have bullheads' plan._ '

Blake and Violet took off the instant the propeller exploded, Violet giving the benefit of her semblance to both of them so that they could cross the distance in only a few moments. Yang beat them to the frey still. She flew low across the ground in a blur, each burst of speed punctuated by her Ember Celicas firing off behind her. Yang caught the first man while he was still fumbling with his weapon, too absorbed by the sudden explosion to notice the golden streak in time. Yang's punch took him in the chest, knocking him backwards into another that had been trying to whip his weapon up at her.

"My night just keeps getting better!" Torchwick shouted sarcastically, raising his cane to fire it off at Yang. Another ice round from Ruby bloomed in front of him the instant before he pulled the trigger. The resulting explosion was directly in his face, blowing him backwards across the pavement and on to his back.

Blake left the White Fang for Violet, her weapon was better suited for them, and used a clone to launch herself past them at Neo. The girl recovered quickly from seeing Torchwick go down, though, and met Blake's sword with her umbrella. Neither wasted time as they began their fight. Violet had told Blake that she was likely the best suited for taking on the brown and pink haired girl. Their two fighting styles were evenly matched, both relying on fast paced dodging and acrobatic feats to avoid damage.

Violet wasn't sure who would win in a _one on one_ , but Blake just needed to buy time and keep Neo preoccupied while the other three took care of the rest. Violet began to lay into the White Fang with her greatsword, bludgeoning a swath through them that kept them away from Blake's fight. Yang ran past her and vaulted the ice blossom that Ruby had created, slamming down into Torchwick with a heavy right hook just as he was starting to recover. ' _Good. Keep them separated and off balance. Neo is Torchwick's only way to escape in this situation._ '

Ruby finally joined Violet as well, blurring into the action with a gleam in her eyes matched only by her scythe. The two of them made short work of the remaining White Fang and then turned their attention between Torchwick and Neo. Ruby joined her sister, the two had trained together the most and would have the best tandem attacks to bring him down. Violet closed in on Neo with Blake, making sure that she came up on the side closest to Torchwick, cutting Neo off from him.

They were all interrupted as the other two bullheads arrived on the scene. Violet heard the sound of their guns whirring to life and shouted out a warning to the rest, "Get to cover!"

Blake had already noticed it as well. The first shots of the gatling gun ripped through her clone, gouging chunks out of the pavement in a shower of dust and tarmac that sent Neo stumbling away in a panic. The stream of bullets switched targets. Violet could see the flashes of rounds raking across the pavement in her direction. Violet put Zenith between herself and the ship, reducing her body weight to its minimum and throwing herself into a roll behind the bullhead that had already been grounded. Two rounds whizzed off her greatsword before she heard more tearing into the top of the bullhead above her. A few rounds punctured through completely, missing by a narrow margin. Violet's head lurched.

' _A cascade of black arrows rained down on their defenses, whizzing through open air and puncturing holes through shields. The screams of the fallen were the only sound she could hear aside from the arrows that fell like rain in a downpour. Those damn arrows. A hand reached up from behind her, drawing her attention as the man grabbed her wrist. Her eyes widened at the sight. Her life long companion, a black arrow sticking out of his chest. "No! No I can fix this!" Her final thoughts were cut short as the second volley fell on their undefended forms._ '

Violet shook herself, trying to get back into the moment as the second bullhead's gun whirred to life, another stream of lead splashed against the ground in Yang's direction. The ship careened off target before it could find its mark, though, as Ruby quickly turned, firing her final ice round across the cockpit window and blinding the pilot. The bullhead hastily landed, and another group of White Fang dropped out of it before charging in their direction. ' _We didn't have enough time!_ '

Violet realized that with Blake and her both preoccupied, Neo was free. Her eyes darted over to see the girl sprinting low at Ruby from behind, hidden blade exposed, "Blake! Get Neo!"

Blake's eyes instantly took in what was about to happen, and threw Gambol Shroud, firing it as she did. It wrapped around Neo's umbrella, yanking her to the side the moment before her attack could connect with Ruby's exposed back. Blake was in her face in an instant, resuming their fight, but they were all exposed from the air.

' _I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but that bullhead needs to go down!_ ' Violet heard the gatling gun spinning to life again as she switched Zenith's form and dropped one of her projectiles into its waiting maw. She launched herself from cover and came up in a crouch, one knee against the pavement and Zenith aimed at the ship. Violet's eyes glazed over, a memory struggling to the forefront.

' _She threw herself from cover, RPG at the ready as the helicopter's guns whirred to life. They tore her apart as she fired. She didn't care. Her comrades already lay scattered across the street, their eyes cold and lifeless. The rocket arced through the air, flying true even as she fell, and reduced the damned mass of steel to flaming chunks that scattered through the air._ '

The coils hummed to life, electricity arcing between them as she fired Zenith.

The delay allowed the pilot enough time to try and bank to the side as the ship tilted sideways, a desperate attempt to avoid whatever was being aimed its way as it strafed. The blast tore through the wing like it was paper, pieces of metal further from the impact zone were instantly warped by the superheated projectile. The bullhead's left propellers stuttered, the ship spinning as thick black smoke streamed out of the engine. Violet tried to predict its path as it fell.

' _I can't tell!_ ' The spin was too erratic. The bullhead would dip harshly one moment, then pull up the next as the engines fought to continue working. Only one thing was for certain. It _was_ going down. The White Fang that had been charging her also noticed, and screamed as they realized what was going to happen. They broke away in various directions, with no hope of making it off the docks in time.

The other combatants in the area heard the explosion. All eyes turned to see the bullhead dipping out of the sky in an unpredictable spin. Torchwick took his chance. With the sisters' attention off of him, he fired his cane directly between the two, blowing them both backwards and off their feet. He followed it up by firing another shot, this one at Blake. She must have heard it, more than seen it, not daring to take her concentration off the girl in front of her. Blake was forced to retreat. The blast hit the clone she left behind as she reappeared next to Violet, breathing heavily. Her eyes were wary as the two finally joined back up with each other.

Neither of them appeared eager to stick around, though. Neo gave them one final smirk, her eyes flicking up to look at the bullhead and back to them with a wink, before they shattered into a million pieces.

"What do we do!?" Ruby yelled in fear as she got back on her feet. If the bullhead crashed into the containers, the explosion would level the entire dock, and they were directly in the center of it all. There was no escape. Violet's mind reeled.

' _The ogre's massive club slammed down in front of the cave's entrance, blocking them in with the goblins that swarmed from the depths. "What do we do!?" Her sister cried out from next to her. Looking to her, the older sister, for the answers to the impossible. They were alone, defenseless, with nowhere to run. The goblins cheered in guttural laughs as they took their time murdering the two girls. Her final thoughts died before they could reach her lips. "My fault!_ "

Blake and Yang turned to Violet, their leader, a desperate plea in their eyes that she would come up with something, anything to get them out of this alive. Violet's mind raced as she took in their surroundings. There were containers between them and the ocean. If any of the containers were hit, the resulting explosion would set off a chain reaction that would detonate all of them in the surrounding area. The downed bullhead couldn't provide the cover they needed. The warehouses were too far away to get to in time, too far away to seek shelter in.

With one last metallic screech the propeller exploded, pieces flying in all directions to spell the end of its struggle. The bullhead's side dipped menacingly, angled directly for the closest stack of cargo containers in a collision course that would kill them all.

Yang screamed in despair as she threw herself over Ruby.

Blake screamed in fear as she threw her hands over her head.

Violet shut her eyes as a wave of untold loss played out in her mind, threatening to repeat itself. Her eyes started to burn.

' _The blast ripped through barracks, where they had thought themselves safe. She watched her brothers-in-arms get blown to bits in the devastation. Body parts and gore blasting in every direction as the building itself exploded around them. She was dead, too. Her body wiped away in the shockwave like the others. She stood in the middle of it all, only her spirit left as she stared over the ruins that had been the resistance. This form couldn't shed the tears that she felt._ '

Memories long lost flashed before Violet's eyes, thousands of the dead begging her to save them as their lives were cut short. ' _No! It's all my fault!_ '

Her emotions erupted in the form of a twelve foot thick dome of amethyst colored ice that roared into the sky. The walls collided against each other at its peak, causing a groaning slam like a coffin that echoed the deaths of all those that she had let die before.

With one final twist of melted steel, the bullhead's blazing wing slammed into the cargo container, followed by the rest of it.

All Violet could see were the eyes of the dead pleading for her help.

The dust in the first container combusted on impact, starting a chain reaction of explosions that shook the ground around them like an earthquake. Multicolored bursts of dust in every direction roared around the wall of amethyst ice that towered around them, stalagmites a dozen feet thick and two dozen high weathered the onslaught. Cracks spiderwebbed across the ice in every direction, each consecutive eruption chipping away at the only thing that stood between them and certain death. The dome remained resolute and unmoving. The air smelled like ozone, charged with dust particles that threatened to set the air itself on fire. The deadly salvo continued for another few seconds, and then…

The four girls breathed out heavily, their limbs quaking as they slowly recovered from their lives flashing before their eyes, more so for Violet than any other. Those eyes went wide as they looked at the titanic mass of ice that had protected them. Violet raised her own hand up in front of her face and saw it tremble in front of her. ' _How… how could I have left so many to their deaths?_ '

' _Never look back,_ ' the words to the rule taunted her, a reminder that she was responsible for it all.

Three sets of eyes locked on to Violet. She couldn't return their smile. ' _I'm a monster._ '

Violet was overwhelmed in the sudden rush, nearly knocked off her feet by the force of all three girls surging in to hug her at once. They gripped her in a deathly embrace, tears streaming down their faces. Violet didn't react, she was still in shock.

"Thank you, Vi! Thank you!" Yang cried into her shoulder, body shaking in choked sobs. Ruby and Blake were silent except for their own whimpers, each hiding their faces against her.

' _No, I'm not worth your thanks. I've let so many die…_ '

The girls didn't let up. The towering walls of ice created their lonely little world as they stood there, holding Violet, holding each other.

' _Please, just leave me. I don't deserve this._ '

Despite herself, Violet's arms wrapped around as much of the girls as she could. Her team, her friends. She had done the impossible just for them. ' _Never again._ ' The cracks in the ice surrounding them deepened.

"You're the best leader we could have had, Violet," Ruby sobbed out between the heavy breaths that wracked her chest. ' _Don't say that, Ruby. It's all my fault…_ '

Chunks of the ice wall around them shattered, falling to the ground to break apart into pieces and fade away, the force that held them becoming unravelled.

Blake pulled back, looking deeply into Violet's eyes. Blake's widened, seeing the torment behind them. She gave a choked smile, her face closed in, cheek pressed against Violet's. A whisper escaped her lips, meant for Violet's ears alone, " _Thank you._ "

The wall of ice collapsed, unable to support its own weight any longer.

Violet felt her breath escape in a deep, rattling sigh, ' _I'll protect all of you._ '

* * *

The police arrived on the scene to find the devastation. Warped metal and steel like shrapnel stuck out of the ground in every direction, scorch marks from both fire and lightning dust alike carved deep gouges through the tarmac, fires still raged all around, mountains of ice spiralled into the sky, and at the very center of it all, a perfectly unblemished circle of pavement, completely untouched by the mayhem.

"You thinkin' the uh, White Fang again?"

"I'm thinkin' about an early retirement."

* * *

Violet crawled into bed as they arrived at the dorms, giving her team one exhausted stare to warn them not to disturb her. They looked tired, but itched to talk about what happened. Understanding her mood, though, they excused themselves from the room to go talk somewhere else.

Violet was emotionally drained more than anything else. She could have stayed up to talk with them, but there was something more important she needed to do. It was time for Violet to take things into her own hands. She closed her eyes, and let her consciousness drift to the top of the tower at the heart of Beacon.

* * *

Ozpin's legs were crossed as he sat in his chair, one foot idly swaying up and down as he impatiently waited for the elevator to finish its ascent. Time was of the essence. He had a small glimmer of an idea as to what Salem might be planning, and it was not good.

The elevator doors finally slid open, and Qrow stepped out, already brandishing his flask as he walked in exhaustion to the desk, "This better be good, Oz. You don't know how tiring it is to fly for two days straight."

"Yes, yes, I assure you this is of the utmost importance. Salem has made her move," Ozpin announced gravely, nodding as Qrow was shocked motionless. He recovered long enough to take another swig and pocket the flask before dropping heavily into the chair across from Ozpin's.

"What's she done?" Qrow asked quietly, remembering the reason he had been so quick in getting here in the first place.

"Your nieces are fine," Qrow breathed a sigh of relief, "For the moment."

Qrow straightened at that, eyes telling Ozpin that he would not be toyed with.

Wordlessly, Ozpin pulled up the dock footage, or what was left of it, up until the instant the bullhead had ignited the stockpile of dust stored in all the containers. He used one of the camera angles that hid the four girls from view, so that Qrow could first see the explosion for what it had been, unsurvivable.

Qrow winced, "Was anyone down there?"

Ozpin paused, "Your nieces and their teammates, yes."

Qrow's eyes went wide and he stood up sharply, glaring down at Ozpin as his fist trembled at his side, "You said they were fine!"

"And they are," Ozpin replied calmly and changed the camera angle now, going back to a few moments before the explosion. Team Vibrant stood in the middle of where the explosion would take place. Qrow leaned forward, hands wrapped around the edges of the table in a white knuckle grip. They both watched as, the instant before the bullhead collided with the cargo container, a spire of thick, closely grouped purple crystals surrounded them.

Silence hung in the air between then as Qrow's eyes screwed up in confusion and worry, "What happened?"

Ozpin scrubbed back the timeline again, this time choosing a third camera angle that had a better view to Ms. Regalia's face, and zoomed in on it, playing it in slow motion as the girl's eyes burned with a purple radiance.

Qrow stumbled back, "A… A maiden!?"

"One created by Salem, it would seem," Ozpin nodded, bringing Qrow's attention back to the crystals, indistinguishable from the ones that permeated Salem's domain.

"But when? Why!?"

"My running theory is that Violet Regalia was the product of the power transferring to someone at random, similar to a regular maiden. She herself was not created by Salem."

Qrow's eyes screwed up in confusion, "But we've not heard anything about one. Who could have even killed a maiden like that?"

"Summer," Ozpin replied simply, shocking Qrow, "We never found out who was responsible for her assassination. The area showed clear signs of a battle taking place. Perhaps her silver eyes were able to kill the maiden of the Grimm, even after she herself had been mortally wounded."

Qrow fell back into his chair with a huff, "This is too much."

"It was always a possibility. If I could transfer my magic to the maidens as I did, then so could Salem."

"What are we going to do?" Qrow asked gruffly, waiting for Ozpin to tell him the course of action they should take.

"I don't know."

Another silence passed between them, "What's that supposed to mean!?" Qrow blurted out.

"If Salem has lost such a valuable asset, then it is our duty to keep it out of her hands," Qrow nodded along, "Unfortunately, I believe Ms. Regalia could kill me for good if she tried, like she did to the Grimm. Her flames do not burn away the flesh, but the soul."

Qrow froze as his eyes regarded Ozpin.

A feminine giggle from the corner surprised both of them.

Harbinger was in Qrow's hands in an instant, a shot fired from its double barrels in the direction the voice had come from. The giggle continued, now sourceless and all around them.

"Who is there!?" Ozpin shouted, hands gripping his cane tightly as his eyes roamed the room.

" _Silly wizard and his pet bird. If you stay up here too long, your little minds will think themselves in circles~_ " the voice mocked them with another giggle as it seemed to swirl around them.

Qrow fired another shot, hitting nothing as he tried to follow the voice by sound alone.

" _Oh, please. This will be so much easier if you just_ _ **relax**_ ~" the words had a force behind them. Ozpin felt his hand go limp, his cane dropped on to the ground with a clatter, Qrow's weapon did the same with a much heavier thud.

" _That's better, isn't it?~_ " a single mote of light appeared between the two, amethyst in color, with flickering flames the same color surrounding it.

"What are you?"

" _God,_ " the voice lost its playful tone, sounding like it disliked the title it had given itself.

"There are only two gods of Remnant, and I recognize you as neither of them," Ozpin stated flatly, staring at the mote of light.

" _Two gods of Remnant, but not the only two that exist~_ " the voice lost its edge, returning to the mocking tone it had started with.

"I don't believe you," Ozpin said coldly.

" _But then, who can you trust if not God?~_ " the voice laughed, " _Oh, I know!_ "

Ozpin felt the world shift around him, vanishing out of sight as he was thrust into sand that blurred beneath him, his eyes darted up, taking in the familiar hazy dunes that shifted unnaturally. Qrow quickly stood, eyes whipping around, no clue where they were.

" _Jinn~_ "

Ozpin and Qrow turned to see the Relic of Knowledge, resting above the sand pillar behind them. Watched as blue smoke poured out, forming into a large naked woman, clad only in gold jewelry and chains. Ozpin stood up and backed against the closed door behind him, the one that he had never seen closed from this side, "This isn't possible."

The mote and Jinn both ignored him.

" _Hello again, Jinn~_ "

Jinn seemed to take in the situation cautiously, noticing immediately that both Ozpin and Qrow were there. A smile broke out across her face as she turned back to the mote of light, "It's nice to see you again, God~"

" _Tell me, who created the God of Light and the God of Darkness?~_ "

"Why, you did of course."

" _Does that satisfy you?~_ " Ozpin felt the mote turn back to him, despite it lacking any clear sides.

He was speechless. His entire world had been turned on its head in moments. ' _The Gods of Light and Darkness were created!?_ ' Ozpin reeled in shock.

" _Oh dear, we may have broken him~_ "

There was a shifting of sand as Qrow stepped forward, "Uh, listen. God. Why did you only show yourself now?" he spoke from nearby, asking the question that was burning in the forefront of Ozpin's own mind.

" _Ah, finally. A little back bone~_ " God teased, " _I decided to show myself because you were thinking some very bad thoughts._ "

"We were trying to stop one of Salem's plots!" Qrow shouted uncertainly.

' _Is God on Salem's side in all this!?_ ' Ozpin choked on the thought.

" _Violet Regalia has nothing to do with Salem. She is one of_ _ **my**_ _creations~_ "

Ozpin frowned, finally regaining some of his composure, "What do you mean, one of your creations?"

" _Exactly as it sounds. I gave her the power that she possesses, to do with as she sees fit~_ "

"Why?" the words were echoed by Qrow beside him.

" _Because your little quarrel with Salem was getting boring. Your further from victory than you were a thousand years ago~_ " God scoffed, " _And all I want is to be entertained._ "

"That's what our lives are to you!? Entertainment!?" Qrow shouted in disbelief, eyes going wide.

" _Yes, little bird. Your world, and thousands of others stretched across space and time. You are not the first, and you will not be the last~_ "

"How dare you treat people's lives so callously!" Ozpin shouted in fury.

" _Oh, you poor wizard. You do not yet see that we are the same. You know the struggle against Salem is futile. When will you give up and start treating your fellow man as nothing more than pawns on one big chess board? Ah, but don't you already? Now imagine that life of yours spanning across millions and millions of years, instead of the paltry thousand you have now~_ "

"I would still not delight in the torment of others!"

" _Neither do I, wizard. The deaths of those closest to you never get easier, but without death, you cannot appreciate life. It brought me no pleasure to allow Summer's death, or that poor child unfortunate enough to become the maiden for this very vault."_

Ozpin's thoughts latched onto the last detail, "So you know who killed her?"

God remained floating in the air, regarding him, despite its lack of eyes. It drifted lazily up and down, " _Perhaps I could make a deal with you, wizard._ "

Ozpin's eyes narrowed, "And what kind of deal might that be?"

" _In exchange for the answer you seek, you will grant my creation a boon, of sorts. You may approach her with the intent to gain her trust and bring her to your side, but treat her no differently as you might the young Ruby Rose that you are both so fond of. You also must not bring up any of this to her. As far as she is concerned, none of this exists._ "

"Deal," Ozpin replied instantly. The girl was kind at heart, and had proven as much by saving the lives of those around her on more than one occasion. He did not doubt he could sway her to joining their side against Salem.

God regarded him for a few moments, " _This will not be easy to hear._ "

"Is anything ever easy?" Ozpin replied sharply.

" _Not for you. It will be hard for the bird._ "

Qrow looked up at the mote of light with confusion and apprehension, "I can take it."

"... _Raven Branwen murdered the child, and is the current Spring Maiden._ "

Qrow stepped back in shock, his head shaking back and forth as he tried to deny the claim. Ozpin stared at the mote of light. It had no face, he could not read it, but there had been no hesitation in its words one it began to speak. ' _I believe it._ '

"That's ridiculous!" Qrow yelled, "She's too old!"

" _But she would not have been ten years ago when the child disappeared._ "

"Still, even Raven wouldn't-!"

" _She would, and she did. Raven desires power above all else to keep herself safe from Salem's forces. The child was weak, and would not have been strong enough of an ally to protect her, so Raven took a gamble on the next best thing before her time as an eligible maiden ran out._ "

Qrow was dumbfounded. His jaw moved up and down but no words came out as he stared at the mote.

" _My end of the bargain has been completed. I will be… greatly disappointed if you do not hold to your end as well, wizard._ "

The world lurched again as they were brought back to Ozpin's office. A light giggle in the distance, the only sound before they were dropped on to the floor. Ozpin picked up his cane with shaking hands and set it on his desk, sitting down with an utter lack of the grace he usually possessed. His fingers trembled as they picked up his mug. He managed to take a sip before setting it back down. He felt sick.


	15. Comfort

Blake led the other two girls back out of the dorm once it was clear that Violet wanted to be left alone. It was obvious that their purple haired leader was exhausted, both physically and mentally, from whatever power she had utilized. The look that had been in her eyes moments after the explosion was what worried Blake the most though. She had seen that look in her own eyes many times, even after leaving the White Fang.

It was shame.

The cat faunus didn't know what their leader had to be ashamed about. They had all been saved thanks to her! Even still, there had been a deep seated regret in those beautiful amethyst eyes. Blake's heart had gone out to her in that moment, wanting more than anything else to give her what comfort she could offer, as Violet had done for her over the last month. Blake didn't have her leader's powers of insight, though. She couldn't tell what bothered her.

As the group found their way back outside into the cool night air atop the Beacon plateau, they sat down together on a bench, one of many that lined the walkway between buildings. They stayed silent for a small time, each collecting their own thoughts on the events that had so recently transpired.

Blake was the first to speak, her mind still incapable of coming to any real conclusion on her own. If she couldn't think of an answer, then perhaps collectively they could, "Did anyone else notice how Violet seemed… _ashamed_ of herself?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby quipped back as she was pulled from her own thoughts, leaning forward on the far right side of the bench to peer past Yang towards Blake.

The blond sat with her arms folded, and nodded slightly at Blake's mention of the fact, still staring forward ahead of herself, "I don't know why… but she's always been evasive. She didn't even open up about being able to set things on fire until _after_ she almost died to the King Taijitu."

Ruby's face screwed up in confusion, while Yang and Blake merely appeared thoughtful. Blake hunched forward and place her head against her hand, staying turned to her right to keep an eye on both of her teammates, "Do you think she did something with them that she isn't proud of? What if she… hurt people in the past?"

Yang shook her head, "On accident, maybe. Violet is too nice to have an evil backstory…" The blond paused, frowning suddenly as her eyes went vacant, "She does have a hate boner for Cardin, though."

" _Had_ ," Ruby corrected, "She's been helping him train in class recently, remember?"

The other two could only nod in agreement. Violet had been making efforts to help Cardin along. ' _I certainly would never have given him a second chance…_ ' Blake thought to herself, mind going back to the way Cardin had acted in the first weeks of school. Her mind flickered to Weiss as well, though. That one had been a surprise. Blake could at least tolerate the heiress these days. Weiss didn't act racist, but she was still a pompous brat at the best of times.

Yang shrugged, "Just another reason I can't see her hurting someone unless it was on accident."

"I think we should just ask her," Ruby said, eyeing the two older girls, "I know you don't like secrets, Yang, but remember what happened last time?"

Yang stiffened slightly, glancing in Ruby's direction, then sighed, "I was being selfish. The last time I wanted to know was for _me_. This is different. She just saved our lives! We aren't good friends if we don't at least _try_ to help her."

"Ruby is right, though. We should ask her," Blake accepted slowly, "We don't want to sit here and come up with a bunch of ridiculous theories that might be _worse_ than what's actually bothering her."

That sat in silence for a while, pondering their next possible avenue. Collectively, they sighed. The prospect was daunting. Blake had always thought the girl was an enigma; someone that by all rights shouldn't exist given her background and what Blake knew of Atlas's uppercrust.

"Good job with that ice dust, Rubes," Yang said finally, sitting back and rubbing a hand across the younger girl's head as she changed the subject.

Ruby balked, smacking Yang's hand away and scooting further away, "It wasn't anything special."

"Are you kidding?" Yang's face broke out in a small smile, "You whipped on that bullhead so fast. Spruce Willis would be proud."

"Do you still think our lives are nothing compared to the movie star's?" Blake asked with a smirk, going back to what the girl had said the lunch before they left to see the movie.

Yang laughed, "Sure, we survived _one_ explosion. Spruce survives like, a hundred more of those in every movie he's in," the blond eyed Blake with a smirk, "Though you weren't really paying attention in the movie theater now, were you?"

Blake blushed slightly, mind going back to the way she had been curled up against Violet in the dark theater, enjoying the girl's company more than she had the obnoxiously loud movie that had been playing, "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, come _on_ Blakey," Yang chastised with a shake of her head, "We've all noticed your little glances."

For her part, Ruby seemed confused by the entire exchange and had tilted her head slightly while she listened in, silver eyes darting back and forth between the two, "What are you guys talking about?"

Yang kept her smile focused on Blake as she replied to Ruby, "Kitty's got a crush."

"I do _not_ ," Blake replied vehemently, turning her head away from the other two, hair swishing in its wake to block their view of the heat rising to her cheeks.

"Oooh…", Blake could feel the grin spreading across the younger girl's face as she continued, "Blake and Violet, sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-"

Blake stood up and stormed off, keeping her face averted from the other two. Her efforts proved fruitless though, as the pair simply rose up from their places on the bench and followed along behind.

Yang laughed as Ruby cut off, "That was a little _too_ juvenile, Rubes."

"You said the _same thing_ to Mary Gold when she had a crush on that boy from school in Signal!" Ruby shot back defensively.

The blond tossed her hair, "That was two _years_ ago, Rubes."

"Yeah, and I'm two years younger than you," the girl replied victoriously with a firm nod, arms crossed.

Yang shook her head, "Just because I did something when I was a kid doesn't make it any less childish when you say the same thing about Blake and Violet."

Blake cut in before Ruby could reply, stopping the girl mid breath as she spun, eyes narrowing at the pair, "Would you two be _quiet_?" The cat faunus breathed out heavily, calming herself, "Look… Let's say I _do_ have an… _appreciation_ for our leader. I hardly want the whole school to find out about it!"

"Why not, Blakey?" Yang replied innocently, the smile returning to her face, "Afraid our dear leader will shoot you down?"

Blake shook her head, eyes downcast as she turned away slightly, hands drawing up in a subconscious display of defense, "My last relationship wasn't exactly the best… and unlike that one, I can't run away if it doesn't work out since we'll be on the same team for the next _four_ years."

"That's ridiculous," Yang replied with some trepidation, hand going out to Blake's shoulder, "Even if it didn't work out, can you really see _Violet_ turning you down in any way _other_ than the nicest way possible?"

Blake stewed for a few seconds as she pondered what she could say next. How much should she admit about her past? Violet had taken the knowledge of Blake being in the White Fang surprisingly well, especially for an upper class girl from Atlas, and had even helped to ease the others into accepting it. Now that Blake thought about it, though… ' _How **did** she know? She knew my father started the White Fang, but…_' Blake had been so overwhelmed by seeing her parents again that she had hardly noticed the quick exchange between her mother and Violet. Either the girl had an insane skill for deductive reasoning and insight, or she had already known somehow. ' _As if Violet would somehow be mixed up with the White Fang._ '

Blake decided that the two girls had proven themselves more than trust-worthy, and that keeping all of her secrets past this point would only serve to worsen the impact later on. She drew a deep breath, and faced the other two with her shoulders squared. Yang retreated slightly at her expression, hand withdrawing and falling back down to her side while she and Ruby waited patiently.

"I don't think I'm worth it…"

When Yang and Ruby both opened their mouths to protest, Blake held up her hand, "Let me finish…" she breathed out once more, drawing her resolve back, "When I was a member of the White Fang, we did terrible things. _Inexcusable_ acts."

Ruby and Yang stood in shock, neither pulling away, but neither having any words to offer at the moment either. Blake decided it was in her best interests to cut off any particularly negative lines of thinking and continued, "I left because they were getting too violent. That doesn't change the fact that I helped them rob dust shipments and… burn down shops that refused to serve faunus customers…"

Yang rubbed a hand across the back of her neck, "Wow, Blake… That's…"

"But you left for good, right?" Ruby piped up from behind her sister, eyes wide as she looked at Blake, hoping for confirmation from the older girl.

Blake nodded, ashamed of herself in a way neither of the two could likely understand, "I thought that we were making a difference, and in some ways… we were. Shops stopped rejecting faunus customers, people weren't as blatantly racist to us in the streets… My… mentor, kept pushing for us to go further though. When he finally wanted me to help him kill innocents… I left."

Ruby rushed forward suddenly, wrapping Blake in a tight hug, "You're okay in my book, Blake!"

Yang took a second longer, but nodded to the faunus over the top of her sister, "I won't pretend like I know what you've been through, but we've all done things we regret…"

Blake doubted that Yang could have done anything remotely close to the hundreds of thousands of lien worth of property damage the ex-terrorist had caused, but accepted it nonetheless, "Thank you…" Tears brimmed in her eyes. Her team really _was_ more than she ever could have hoped for.

Yang patted her on the back and steered the group back towards the dorms, "Don't be so hard on yourself, kitty cat. I'm sure Violet won't care, either."

The faunus let out a small bubbly chuckle, "Violet already knows."

The blond rolled her eyes after a quick glance at Blake, "Of _course_ she does. Honestly, sometimes I get the feeling that girl knows more about us that we do about ourselves."

Blake knew the feeling well. Violet always had a tiny smirk and a glint in her eyes whenever you tried to lie to her, like she could see right through you. It could be disconcerting at times, "Maybe that's another one of her powers," Blake joked out loud.

Ruby held a hand up counting out each of the powers Violet had displayed, "Fire, ice, mind reading... Think she has anything else up her sleeve?"

Yang laughed, "At this point, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Next thing you know, she'll turn out to be stronger than Oum himself."

"Don't be ridiculous, Yang," Ruby replied. They all quieted down as the younger girl pulled out her scroll and used it to unlock their dorm room. It opened with a click, swinging wide to reveal Violet exactly where they had left her.

Blake could still hear the girl's shallow breaths, ' _She isn't really asleep yet_ ', but didn't mention it when the other girl refused to turn their way at the sound of the door opening.

The trio silently changed into their various pajamas and crawled into bed. Yang helped Ruby get up into her bunk, if only to avoid disturbing the purple haired girl resting beneath her. Blake vaulted up into her own bed with cat-like grace and only the tiniest sound. There was a murmured chorus of 'good night' from the three girls before both Ruby and Yang turned over, quickly falling asleep.

' _It **was** a long day._'

Still, Blake couldn't help but fight off the brimming desire for rest, and instead focused on Violet. The girl was still awake, that much was apparent. The faunus pulled up her scroll and sent a quick message, knowing their leader always kept hers on vibrate.

" _Do you want to talk?_ "

After a minute, Violet's hand slowly crept over to her scroll, and she popped it open to look at the message Blake had sent her. There were a few tense seconds, with the faunus wondering if her offer had been rejected, before Violet turned around and gave Blake a silent nod.

Her leader quietly withdrew from beneath her covers and, still in her pajamas, walked to the door. Blake dropped to the carpet on the floor in front of the bookshelf and followed, glad her offer had not gone ignored.

The two stepped out into the hallway then continued a bit further away, retreating from the close proximity of both team Vibrant's and team Siren's dorms. Violet finally stopped and sat down on a bench in one of the small windowed alcoves that lined the hallway. Moonlight streamed down through the glass, illuminating the pair of them as they sat next to each other.

Violet seemed content to sit there in silence, one leg kicking idly back and forth while the other had been drawn up against her chest, foot resting on the bench while her arms hugged herself tightly against it. Blake could still see the remnants of regret in the girl's eyes from earlier.

"What's wrong?" Blake finally decided to just go straight to the heart of the matter, her curiosity and desire to help her leader getting the better of her.

Violet didn't respond immediately, instead choosing to rest her chin against her knee and eye Blake sideways. The other girl finally sighed, though, leaning back against the cold window behind her, "I'm just… regretting a lot of the things I've done in my life…"

Blake fought down her initial reaction, which was to scoff at her leader. ' _How much could a girl from Atlas possibly regret?_ ' The sadness in Violet's eyes kept her mouth shut, though. Instead, she simply waited for the other girl to elaborate. If she didn't… Blake wouldn't press her for it. There were certain things in the faunus's past that she would never want to admit to under any circumstances.

When Violet seemed content to just sit there sadly, Blake attempted to lighten the mood. She bumped her shoulder against Violet's and quipped lightly, "I hope saving us wasn't one of your 'regrets'."

Violet smiled, but there was no real joy in it, "Of course not…" her eyes drifted away, looking down and away from Blake as she spoke again, "That's the complete _opposite_ of what's bothering me…"

' _Had Violet failed to save someone in the past?_ ' The previous idea of Violet using her powers on accident were suddenly replaced with a much more grim possibility, one that made much more sense with her idea of who their leader was as a person.

"Who?" Blake replied simply, trying to help ease her friend into a confession, reminded of her earliest story about having a sister, ' _If she can't confide in her team, then who else can she?_ '

To her surprise though, Violet just shook her head, "I never _actually_ had a sister, Blake."

The faunus's eyebrows raised, both eyes going wide as her pupils dilated into slits, "Seriously, the way you read everyone so easily is kind of scary sometimes."

Violet did laugh a little at that and gave Blake a small grin, "It's part of my charm, Belladonna."

The reaction brightened the faunus's mood as well, glad that she had gotten the girl to smile, if only for a moment, "Well, your charm is certainly working." Blake went red, realizing what she had just said. It seemed like Violet hadn't noticed the accidental admission, though, as her face once again fell. The faunus wasn't sure whether or not she relished that fact. It would have been nice to get her feelings out in the open, but… ' _Now isn't the time for it._ '

"You all deserve so much more than me," Violet said after a few seconds, her eyes once again darting downward.

"Excuse me?" Blake's hackles raised slightly as she inched closer to her leader, "You have been nothing but _perfect_ to us, to _me_ , since I met you. What more could we want?"

"Someone that didn't lead you into a death trap, maybe?" Violet retorted quietly, refusing to meet Blake's eyes.

Blake sat back in confusion, "Is _that_ why you're beating yourself up? None of us could have guessed what would happen!" The faunus shook her head in disbelief, "Even if you had known what would happen ahead of time, Torchwick and the White Fang _still_ need to be stopped."

"We would have been successful if I had used my powers from the start," Violet argued, holding a hand up to look at it in the moonlight. There was a brief flicker of ice crystals that formed above her palm. They were instantly incinerated by a flash of purple flame.

Blake was a little breathless as she watched it happen, "You… know how to control it?"

"Not until now," Violet replied quickly, letting her hand fall as she looked back to the faunus, "But if I had back then, I could have saved the members of team Cardinal sooner. I could have stopped Torchwick and Neo when I confronted them at the van."

Blake shook her head in understanding, "You can't blame yourself for your past mistakes. If I had known sooner that I was going to eventually leave the White Fang, then I would have done so when my father left. It would have saved me from years worth of going down the wrong path."

"Never look back…" Violet muttered with a shake of her head.

"No…" Blake frowned, trying to find the exact wording that she would use, "You should never forget the past. You should _learn_ from it. I'll never make the same mistakes, because I know better than I did back then."

Violet was silent for awhile, contemplating the words that Blake had spoken to her. They seemed to have a profound effect, judging by the expressions that continuously crossed her leader's face. The faunus was starting to get worried by the time the girl finally spoke again.

"You're right."

Her leader surprised the faunus by suddenly wrapping her in a tight hug. Blake returned it in kind, purring softly despite herself in the warm embrace.

"Thank you, Blake," Violet said in a low whisper, quiet enough that even the cat faunus had trouble catching the words she spoke, "I think… those are words I can live by."

Blake nuzzled into her neck and gripped tighter, refusing to be the first to pull away, "I'm happy I could help, Violet. Just... don't be so hard on yourself."

Violet sighed, finally sitting back, "Okay," she had a small smile on her face, this time without the sadness behind her eyes, "I'll be the best I can be for _all_ of you." Her leader jumped up and held a hand out, pulling Blake up to her feet along with her.

The pair made their way back to the dorm room side by side, and eventually wished each other goodnight before turning in.

* * *

That night, Violet let herself dream.


	16. Plans

Violet woke up feeling refreshed, if still a little sobered by the events that had transpired so recently, ' _Qrow and Ozpin officially hate me…_ ' Even if it wasn't 'Violet' that had drawn their ire, she couldn't help but feel depressed that she had to lie to them as she had. Playing herself off as a nonchalant deity that strung their lives along on a whim alone had been essential. There was very little chance of a connection being made between both versions of her, now.

The secret goddess and team leader stewed over her possible next steps whilst standing in the shower, letting the hot water pound against her back in an attempt at relieving the tension in her muscles, ' _Should I just put an end to it all? I could stop all the worst conflicts in an instant… then try to enjoy my time in Beacon…_ '

It would be simple enough to adopt her true persona once more, stop by Salem's castle and lay waste to both her, and her lieutenants. Tyrian, Hazel, Watts, Cinder… She could end the entire war with a snap of her fingers…

That felt like too far of an overcorrection, though. If she had been dreading the trip to Forever Fall because the possibility of a little bullying was absent, then how would she feel in a year's worth of peace? ' _I still need excitement._ ' Every conversation she could possibly have would be a repeat, no matter what context it was in. Love, hate, spite, scorn, friendships and enemies. The only thing that tended to keep her entertained was conflict.

' _What does that say about me?_ ' Violet laughed to herself, the sound masked by the shower, ' _It's only natural. There are so many more variations possible in a fight. Meanwhile, conversations always boil down to people trying to get across the same basic few emotions._ '

Still, something needed to change. Putting herself in danger was fine, but the others? ' _I won't have a repeat of my other lives. I'll learn from my mistakes, like Blake suggested,_ ' Violet smirked at the idea of having to accept advice from someone she had created, ' _Even God isn't perfect, eh?_ '

Oh, the amount of despair that admission would cause on more than one world. Violet sighed and turned the shower off, stepping out to grab her towel off the rack. Violet could remember a time, long ago, when she was 'perfect'. Unfortunately, that ran hand in hand with boredom, a fact that took her too long to figure out. ' _I still had my omniscience back then._ ' That had been the worst of it. _Nothing_ had been surprising, since she had known _everything_. These days she only tapped into it while creating new worlds in order to properly set them up. Anything beyond that ruined the experience.

There were a few light knocks on the door, followed by Blake's voice whispering through it, "Are you almost done? Sorry for the rush, but I didn't get the chance to shower last night after everything…"

Violet quickly wrapped herself up in the towel and unlocked the door, giving an equally quiet "Come on in," before heading back over to the counter and getting started on her hair.

Blake stepped into the room uncertainly, her gaze darting to Violet's barely covered form and away in short bursts, her eyes fighting to not stare, "Are you going to, um… stay in here?"

"Plenty of space, right?" Violet quirked an eyebrow, then smirked, suddenly understanding. ' _Honestly, they're always so modest._ '

"Uhhhmm…" Blake gulped and seemed caught between her desire to leave, and the necessity for cleanliness.

Violet held up a hand and chuckled, "Just messing with you, kitty." She gathered up her things, bundling them in her arms, and brushed past Blake on the way out. The girl went rigid at her touch. Violet was about to tease her again when the door slammed shut with more force than was necessary.

The goddess let out a short giggle and moved over to her dresser, picking out a few matching items before dropping the towel to slip them on. She dressed with comfort in mind, ready to continue contrasting herself with her real persona. Undoubtedly, either she or her entire team would be called to Ozpin's office soon enough. It was the primary reason she had sought to freshen up so much earlier than usual.

Now standing in a pair of semi-tight fitting black shorts that cut off a few inches above her knee, and a purple tank top, Violet's eyes settled on the other two members of her team. They both seemed so peaceful, despite everything that happened. Violet almost envied the simplicities of their struggles. Yang, with her search for her mother, and Ruby, with her desire to help others.

' _I wonder if I could divert some of the inevitable attention if I help her unlock her silver eyes sooner…_ ' It was a thought, at least. With them unlocked, she would be a much more capable fighter during all the events yet to come. Violet crossed her arms and tilted her head in thought, ' _That might draw undue attention from Cinder and her cronies, though. I'd never forgive myself if I did something like that to help myself and she ended up with a knife in the back…_ '

Yang was stirring awake, her golden hair shifting slightly as she brushed it out of her face. A pair of lavender eyes blearily opened, blinking in the sunlight streaming in through the curtains.

"Good morning, sunshine," Violet announced quietly, sitting down at her desk to pull on a pair of socks and shoes, "I'm going down for an early breakfast. Want me to bring you back anything?"

Yang frowned in confusion, "You seem awfully chipper this morning…"

"And why shouldn't I be?" Violet's mind went back to Blake's earlier embarrassment and she decided to start the day off right; with a bit of friendly teasing, "I get to _sleep_ with three cute girls every night."

"Well, you didn't buy me _dinner_ first, so I guess breakfast in bed will have to do," Yang smirked, crawling out of bed and glancing towards the bathroom as the sounds of the shower finally started up. The blond sighed, her hopes for a quick shower immediately dashed, "You know for a cat, Blake certainly takes long showers."

"That's racist," Violet shook her head, giving Yang a smirk that showed she wasn't really accusing her of anything, "Besides, that's how I like 'em."

Yang looked confused, "What? You like wet cats?"

"Something like that~"

The blond finally caught on to the implication and immediately went bright red, her eyes widening in shock. Her mouth opened and closed slowly, incapable of forming words. Violet was forced to hold a hand over her own mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to bubble forth. She didn't want to disturb Ruby if she didn't have to.

Violet crossed the short distance to put a hand on the dumbstruck blond's shoulder, "I'm _kidding_ , Yang. You're all like…" the goddess paused, ' _I can't really say they're like children…_ '

"You're... like family. I wouldn't do anything that might threaten that. You have my word," Violet searched the blond's eyes, and was relieved when she gave a firm nod, "Now. What do you want for breakfast? I'm going to stack a tray full and bring it up for all of us, so make your requests now."

"Bacon and waffles," Yang sighed, sitting back on her bed and slumping down to rest a bit more.

"The breakfast of champions, got it," Violet replied, walking to the door and silently leaving to head down to the cafeteria. It was a short enough walk, especially with no other students yet awake to get in her way or to stop and chat with.

Violet stepped out into the brisk early morning air, a light mist still hanging overtop the grass and pathway that led to her destination. A light wind swept across the courtyard, chilling her to the bone in the short span to the large double doors. Violet pressed them open, hands raising to rub the goosebumps that had formed on her shoulders.

The young leader paused, noticing another occupant. Qrow sat at one of the benches, slumped against the table with his head in his hands, a tray of food sitting untouched in front of him. The man's flask was on the table next to him, apparently empty since it was knocked over but showed no signs of leakage.

Violet's stomach churned with self-loathing. Even if what she had done had been necessary, that didn't help her guilt. With a firm nod to herself, Violet crossed the room. She stopped a few feet away from Qrow, allowing a moment's hesitation before clearing her throat, "Are you okay?"

The drunk older huntsman didn't bother looking in her direction. In fact he barely reacted at all, simply choosing to wave his hand in a shooing motion to get her to go away. Gesture complete, Qrow returned his hand to where it had been before, barely supporting his head off the table.

"I don't think your nieces would like seeing you this way," Violet threatened idly, sitting down next to him on the bench. She leaned forward, placing her own head against her hand as she angled to look at him.

Qrow grunted and cracked a bloodshot eye, getting a squinted look at Violet, "Oh… it's you…"

"Oh... it's me," Violet mimicked back, "Qrow, wasn't it? I remember you a bit from the end of the… adventure on Patch. Ruby talks about you too. I might not have recognized you otherwise, especially considering the state you're in." Violet gave him a pitying look, "I don't know what's got you in the dumps, but…" her eyes searched the distant tables, spotting her quarry, "Want some coffee?"

Qrow's response was a noncommittal sigh, followed by a groan as he rubbed a hand across his temple.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Violet replied, hopping up to head over to the breakfast tables. Thankfully, a fresh pot of coffee was nearly finished, giving her no issues as she poured a rather large mug full of it before heading back to Qrow. Violet placed the steaming liquid down in front of him, "Careful, it's hot."

"Obviously," Qrow grumbled, slowly fumbling for some cream and sugar. After only a moderate addition of both, Violet's suspicions that Ruby got her love of sweets from Summer had been all but confirmed.

"Well, I need to grab breakfast for my team, soooo… see ya later?"

One crimson red eye swivelled to Violet, and after a few seconds some of the tension left the huntsman's shoulders, "Thanks, kid."

"It's just coffee."

"I wasn't talking about the coffee."

"Oh… right," Violet rubbed the back of her neck, "That isn't necessary. I'm just glad they're okay."

The barest hint of a smile tugged at Qrow's lip, "You know, I said something pretty similar when your parents came to get you in Patch."

"Huh, maybe I learned that from you," Violet shrugged, "Nice to meet you again, Qrow."

"See you soon, kid."

With her tray piled high with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, and a bowl of various fruits, Violet returned back to the dorm hastily. It was starting to get a bit later in the morning, and already the first few students were beginning to stream into the cafeteria, even more so in the corridors. Violet used her semblance to lighten the tray and hold it one handed while she reached into her pocket and withdrew her scroll to unlock the dorm door.

Apparently, Violet had taken longer than she realized. Blake and Yang had both already finished their showers, and Ruby was just then stepping out of the bathroom as well, a gust of steam riding her heels. Blake averted her eyes from Violet at first, her cheeks reddening slightly. Violet didn't miss the way her shoulders were slumped or how her ears mirrored them, laying limply down in obvious dejection. Blake and Yang had obviously been in the middle of some sort of conversation.

"Sorry that took so long," Violet gave Blake a confused glance, then transferred it into a questioning look to Yang. The girl shook her head, though, refusing to answer.

Violet set the tray down on one of the desks and laid out the extra plates she had snagged, "Eat up. I might just be paranoid, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Headmaster is going to want to talk to all of us about our little fight down at the docks."

"You think he knows?" Ruby gasped in horror, eyes darting around the room to the other two that appeared as equally shocked.

"Well, duh. Do you think the police wouldn't report something like that to him _immediately_?"

Yang grumbled, holding her stomach, "I'm suddenly not feeling very hungry…" Her eyes stared in panic at Violet, "Do you think we'll be expelled?"

Violet couldn't help but laugh, ' _You lot, expelled over something like this?_ ' She managed to calm down enough to actually speak, "Not a chance. Seriously, don't even consider it."

"How can you be so sure?" Blake spoke up from her top bunk, eyes even wider than Yang's.

"Trust me, alright? Ozpin wouldn't dare throw any of you out. You're all some of the most promising young huntresses of our _entire generation_. He'd be crazy if the idea even crossed his mind."

"I guess that's true…" Yang replied lightly, standing up from her bed to move across towards the desk, "You're sure?" Her hand hesitated over one of the plates, waiting for Violet's confirmation.

The young leader grabbed a piece of bacon and bit it in half in a gesture of confidence, "Cross my heart."

Yang nodded and started filling up a plate, followed by Blake who hopped down off her bed. She still seemed hesitant to meet Violet's gaze, ' _Maybe my joke this morning offended her. She might already like Yang, or maybe it's just too soon after Adam still… I'll back off._ '

Violet made sure to give Blake a bit more space as the reserved cat faunus grabbed mostly fruit for her own plate. Ruby finished dressing and snagged up a bit of everything, followed by the pair of cookies that Violet uncovered, saving them just for her. Violet grabbed some things for herself last and sat down on her bed, next to the red reaper that had chosen that spot as well instead of tempting fate by climbing up into her own bunk with a plate full of food.

The team peacefully sat and ate their breakfast, each mulling over their own individual thoughts. Blake continued to avoid Violet's gaze, and Yang still didn't seem entirely reassured. Surprisingly, aside from herself, Ruby seemed the most self-assured. Finishing up, Violet patted her stomach with a sigh and set the plate down on top of the bookshelf nearby before leaning back and resting her arms behind her head.

Ruby had already finished as well, and was now fidgeting next to her. Even with her eyes closed, Violet could feel the bed shifting around as the girl shuffled nervously from side to side. Violet huffed, "It's hard to get a little extra rest when you're bouncing around like that, Little Red. What's up?"

"Umm, well… Blake said that you were able to control your power more easily last night… Can you show us?" Ruby stumbled over her words, apparently nervous that her request would be rejected due to her leader's previous stance on 'testing out' her abilities.

"Yeah, that's fine." Violet sat up and looked around the room, incapable of singling anything out to really show off with. She shrugged and moved the plate from the top of the bookshelf to the floor. All eyes were on both her and the plate between her feet as she held her hand out and summoned a foot tall purple crystal of ice.

"Wow…" Yang lowered herself off her bed and crouched down next to the small spire of ice. She glanced up to stare at Violet, "Do you _feel_ any different?"

Violet shook her head, "No, not really. It feels kind of natural, actually. Like I could have been doing this all along."

' _Not far from the truth._ '

Ruby was leaning forward past Violet, one hand against her thigh to look over at the spectacle, "What about fire?"

Violet gestured for Yang to back off before igniting the small tower of ice in purple flames. The ice cracked and popped under the heat, already pooling into a steaming puddle of purple liquid that quickly dissipated into nothingness, leaving the plate cleaner than it had been before.

"Looks like I'll make an excellent dishwasher. I'm sorry girls, but I've found my true calling."

"Have you tried anything else yet?" Blake piped up, sitting at a high enough angle on her bunk across the way to see over Yang.

' _The only other powers I've seen used are lightning and wind, neither of which would be the safest thing in the world to try and use in a small room…_ '

Violet shrugged, "Nothing yet. I'm hoping the Headmaster might be able to offer a little guidance. Who knows, maybe there's other people like me out there, and we just don't know about them?"

"I've never heard of any," Ruby's face was thoughtful, likely racking her brain for any comics that fit the description.

The team leader's scroll buzzed. She sighed as she lifted it up to read the message, "Oh," it wasn't from Ozpin.

"What's up?" Ruby asked, noticing the hint of surprise in Violet's voice.

She shook her head, "Nothing, really. Just not what I was expecting. It's an email from the SDC, apologizing that the shipment was 'regretfully lost' and promising the order will be filled by next weekend."

Yang snorted, "Do you think they'll find out it was us?"

"I doubt it. The headmaster will probably keep this all under wraps," Violet put her scroll away and stretched, "Either way, I _need_ those cells. I'm down to one shot."

' _On second thought, now that the cat's out of the bag… I could try powering it myself with my 'maiden' powers…_ ' Doing away with the dust cells completely would free up such a large constraint, ' _And make my parents' accountants happy._ '

"When do you think the Headmaster is going to call on us?" Ruby asked from next to her, eyes on the door that led out into the hall.

Violet's response was interrupted by a firm knock on the door, causing her to change what she had been about to say and instead hopped up with a smirk. The adventurous leader was already opening the door before any of the others had overcome their panic. Violet's view of the hallway was blocked by Glynda's chest, as the familiar and strict professor had leaned forward and was already preparing to knock once more.

"Hey, Ms. Goodwitch! What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

The older woman stepped back, hand retreating to her clipboard as a pair of piercing green eyes looked over the young leader of team Vibrant, "The headmaster is requesting your presence in his office," her eyes lifted above Violet's head to the rest of the room, "That goes for _all_ of you."

The other members of her team shared a few looks before slowly rising and filing out behind Violet, all led by Ms. Goodwitch as she marched them outside and to the tower, where Ozpin's office resided. The early morning mist had dissipated, leaving on a slight chill in the air as the sun crept past the horizon.

Glynda led them on a direct path to the tower with little deviation. Soon enough, the group of five were inside the base and shuffling into the elevator. Before the professor had a chance to hold out her scroll, the elevator doors were already closing, announcing their destination as the headmaster's office.

Three sets of eyes continuously glanced her direction on the long ride up to the top of the tower, each girl looking for confirmation that they had nothing to worry about. Violet kept her expression resolute, and nodded once to each of them with a soft smile. Ruby seemed to be the least nervous of the three, ' _She did have that interview with him before getting into Beacon. I guess the others just haven't interacted with Ozpin much yet._ '

The doors dinged open, revealing the headmaster sitting by his desk, and a very tired looking Qrow a little behind and to his left left. Glynda stepped inside then took up her place on Ozpin's other side, each flanking him and giving him an air of importance. Qrow at least was better off than how she'd left him. He must have gotten a few more cups of coffee before heading here.

The two niece's eyes each darted to their uncle's, confusion clear across their faces. Qrow could only give a tired nod before Ozpin cleared his throat and leaned forward. The group of girls picked up the pace, stopping in front of his desk in a line while the headmaster eyed each of them in turn.

His gaze finally settled on Violet, "Did you happen to catch the news yesterday evening? There was a particularly interesting story, about a destroyed van, and a hole that had been blown through several buildings all in a single line. Do you have any recollection of such an event, Ms. Regalia?"

' _Whoops. I'd forgotten about that entirely, compared to the docks._ '

Violet rubbed the back of her head, "That was uh… yeah that was me."

Ozpin sat back and made a small motion with his hand, indicating that Violet should continue.

"We were scoping out dust shops to try and catch Roman Torchwick. Blake and the others put a stop to his theft, but he was escaping. I was a further distance away, in the path of his retreat. I uh… _stopped_ his getaway van."

"And caused thousands of lien worth of property damage in the process," Qrow grunted, shaking his head.

"What were you thinking?" Glynda demanded, hand gripping the end of her riding crop tightly.

"I… wasn't?" Violet raised up her hands defensively, "I was caught up in the moment, with my mind only on my goal and not the potential collateral damage it might cause. It won't happen again."

"And yet it did," Ozpin gave her a disapproving frown, "Your firing of Zenith at the docks was the catalyst for the explosion that happened there. What have you to say for yourself?"

Violet's mind retreated to the events of the night prior, how her memories had come flooding unbidden to mind in the middle of the fight, throwing off her timing and allowing the pilot to attempt to avoid the shot.

"There were… extenuating circumstances. The minigun it was firing was too great a threat to leave unattended to."

"Could Ms. Rose have not fired off another ice dust round, blocking the pilot's view as she had done only moments before?"

"I was out! We only brought the three," Ruby piped up from Violet's left.

"I see…" Ozpin weaved his fingers together and stared at the group overtop his hands, giving each a considering look, "And what of Torchwick?"

"He vanished," Blake chipped in, barely able to meet the headmaster's gaze as it was leveled at her, "His hench-girl used some kind of teleport to get them out of there."

Ozpin nodded, "That confirms what we caught on video… However," The holographic screens came to life, depicting an image of the massive, coiling spire of purple ice that had surrounded and protected them, "What can you say of _that_?"

Each eye in the room eventually swivelled to stare at Violet, who sighed, ' _He's trying to figure out how much I know._ '

With a small wave of her hand, a short smattering of purple crystals appeared across the surface of Ozpin's desk, forming into a wide swath that covered part of his keyboard. "Oops, sorry," Violet let her cheeks redden slightly, feigning embarrassment. She had done it on purpose, of course. It wouldn't do to show _too_ much skill with her 'maiden' powers so soon.

"Interesting," the headmaster idly poked at the crystals, "Ah, it is purple _ice_. That certainly clears up some confusion."

Violet ignited one of her fingers, allowing the amethyst colored flame to dance back and forth across them, "I can't consciously do much else with it yet, whatever _it_ is… Do you know why I can do this?" Violet turned two curious eyes to Ozpin, letting the flame go out and the ice disappear.

The ancient man steepled his fingers and leaned back, crossing his leg, "Have you ever heard the story of the four maidens?"

Yang and Ruby both nodded, while Violet and Blake shook their heads 'no'. It wasn't a story that had ever been told to her in this life, even if she _did_ already know it.

Ozpin cleared his throat, then began a retelling of the story, just as Violet recalled it. The old wizard out alone in the woods, the four maidens that visited him, his gratefulness for their efforts and resulting distribution of power.

"So, you're saying I'm one of these maidens?" Violet tilted her head, bangs falling loosely across the front of her face. She smiled and shook her head, "I wasn't alive that long ago, professor. Unless you're suggesting I'm like, two hundred years old."

"Certainly not. The tale of the maidens _is_ true," Ozpin's eyes scanned the other girls in the room, a slight hesitation in his voice, "Ms. Regalia, do you… trust... your teammates?"

"With my life," Violet replied instantly, knowing exactly what Ozpin was getting at, ' _They would never turn on me for power._ '

After a moment, the older man nodded, "If that is the case, then I shall divulge the process of acquiring the maiden's powers to you all. It is important, as others have sought to steal this power for themselves." Ozpin paused for dramatic effect, "Through death, the powers are passed along. Whoever is in your final thoughts when you die will gain the maiden's power for themselves."

"So if I'm murdered…"

"It is very hard to avoid thinking about your attacker in your final moments," Ozpin finished for her, nodding, "On the other hand, if you die without anyone in your final thoughts, the power will be randomly assigned to another eligible maiden in the world."

Violet grinned at the others, "Here's your chance for unimaginable power, ladies. It sleeps in the same room as you _every_ night."

Ruby gasped, "Don't even joke about that!"

"It would match my eye color…" Yang rubbed a hand against her chin and shot Violet a playful smile, "Hey, Rubes. Do you want to trade bunks?"

Ruby punched Yang, a weak hit that barely served to stagger the older sibling. Yang laughed and ruffled Ruby's hair, "I'm kidding, sis. We would never do anything like that, right Blake?"

"Of course not!" the black-haired faunus replied in mild shock, "Ruby's right. You shouldn't even joke about that, you two."

Violet smirked, "Hey, it's _my_ life on the line."

"Still…" Ruby nervously poked her index fingers together, shooting Violet a worried frown.

Violet placed a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder and pulled her into a sideways hug, "Don't be silly, Little Red. I won't be dying any time soon."

Qrow coughed from where he stood, gathering their attention, "Actually, that's the other part we needed to talk about. It's happened in the past, and just recently, another one of the maidens was attacked. Part of her power was stolen." The grizzled huntsman stared them down, "If you value your life… Keep. This. A. _Secret._ "

"That means no using your powers, aside from scheduled times when _we_ will be present to observe," Glynda continued in a tone that brooked no arguments, "We will be taking time each week outside classes to accompany you into the Emerald Forest so that you may _practice_ these new abilities. Aside from then, it is _strictly_ forbidden."

Violet shook her head, "I won't use them if I can help it, but…" her eyes scanned across her teammate's faces, "If something else happens where its the difference between life and death, you ' _forbidding_ ' me won't mean jack."

"I would not have it any other way," Ozpin cut off Glynda's retort with a raised hand, "These powers are yours to do with as you please. We only seek to guide you as we have others in the past."

Violet nodded, "Fair enough. I'll take your lessons and try to avoid using my powers as best I can. I'm not exactly in a rush to get stabbed in the back," she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Although I suppose they would have to do it from the _front_ if they wanted the power."

"Can we please stop talking about people trying to kill you?" Ruby asked quietly. The subject was making her nauseous.

"As you wish, Ms. Rose. While Violet will have her own separate sessions to learn about her new abilities, we will also be moving up the rest of your training," his eyes stared at each of Violet's teammates in turn, "You will all need to be at your best in the future. Glynda has agreed to help you with tandem attacks after your regular combat classes. You all must learn to think as one."

Ruby brightened back up at that. Any chance to train with her team was an idea she could get behind. The rest nodded in acceptance. It was a little earlier than when regular students would start training together. Violet welcomed it, already thinking of attack names.

' _I guess the Weiss themed attacks are out, but we still have Lady Bug and Bumblebee to start with… I'll have to ask Ruby for suggestions. It seemed like she was the brains behind the names in the show,_ ' Violet was spacing out already, ' _What about all the ones that involve me?_ ' She had a lot of work to do, that was for sure. Her and the little reaper would be attached at the hip until they could agree on each variation.

Ozpin sighed, "That is all for now. Please keep this matter close to the chest," his eyes glimmered as he stared them down one last time, "That means from team Siren, as well. The less that know, the better."

The group shuffled, not quite happy about having to keep secrets from their sister team, but eventually all nodded acceptance.

The door opened with a small ding, signalling the group of girls that it was time for them to leave. They did so fast enough, with only a minute quickening in their pace the closer they got to the elevator. Once they were inside and the doors had closed, a few of them breathed out sighs of relief.

Violet broke the silence after a while, "You know, if I made ice and then kept evaporating it with fire, we could turn any room we wanted into a sauna."

" _Violet…_ " three voices chastised her in unison.

"It was just a thought," their team leader gave them all a smug grin as the elevator began it descent.

* * *

"She took that surprisingly well," Qrow muttered, swirling his newly filled flask, "Better than Amber did at first, anyway."

"Hmm," Ozpin hummed is assent, "Indeed. Amber lacked a team, though, and was only a regular citizen before the maiden's powers chose her. Violet has the advantage of years of training and people she can trust on her side."

"Do you really think it was wise to tell all of them how the power is transferred?" Glynda asked tentatively.

Qrow glared across the top of the wizard's chair, "What is that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting my nieces-"

"No, Qrow. I mean the Belladonna girl. We know she was part of the White Fang before coming to Beacon," Glynda shifted her focus to the headmaster, "Should I keep an eye on her?"

"If it will make you feel better," Ozpin replied, still staring at the elevator in contemplation, "For the record, I doubt Ms. Belladonna could be so conniving."

Qrow frowned, "I used to think the same about Raven."

"Yes, but Raven had already _killed_ long before coming to Beacon."

Qrow shifted uncomfortably, ' _So had I…_ ', "I get your point, Oz." He looked between the two, "When are we setting up these little training sessions?"

"You will have to undertake the majority," Ozpin answered, "Glynda and I have our duties here at the school that still must be taken care of, and I have the Vale Council breathing down my neck after what happened at the docks."

"They didn't get a recording, I hope?" Glynda asked, concerned for the well being of her students, no matter how _gifted_ they might be.

"No, no. I made sure of that. Still, a giant explosion hardly went unnoticed by the powers at be. As always, they're asking questions and sticking their nose in business that doesn't concern them."

Ozpin shook his head in exasperation and turned to Qrow, finally taking his eyes off where team Vibrant had last been, "I'll give you Ms. Regalia's scroll number. Set up an appointment to meet with her tomorrow, at the latest. She may be itching to try out her new found powers, and I would rather she does so in a _controlled_ environment."

Qrow swirled his flask but thought better than to take another drink, and instead pocketed it. His expression became measured, as he looked at Ozpin, "...What about God? Are you going to hold true to your deal?"

"I don't believe we have any other choice… Besides, the way I look at it, 'she' has offered us a great opportunity."

"And what might that be?" Glynda chipped in.

"Well… If I feared for my own safety, due to Ms. Regalia's abilities to seemingly destroy the very soul of the creatures she kills, what is to say the same could not be said for _Salem_?"

Ozpin let his words sink in before continuing, "Ms. Regalia may just be the breakthrough we have been searching for."

' _An end to the war…_ ' Qrow could hardly believe it. Did he dare hope that such a thing could be possible? He accepted the girl's scroll number from Ozpin and added it to his contacts, then pulled it open to already designate a time for them to meet up.

" _Beacon Cliff, after dinner. Be there. ~ Qrow_ "

There was no response for all of ten seconds, before his scroll buzzed, Violet's response flashing up on screen for him to read.

" _Sir, yes sir._ "


	17. First Time for Everything

The sun was now well past the horizon as the group of four girls exited the lower level of the CCT, back out into the school grounds. They walked in a short line, shoulder to shoulder along the pathway that led back towards their dorm, with Violet on the far right past Yang, then Blake with Ruby on her left.

They had been silent for the majority of the elevator's descent down, and subsequent walk out of the tower. Blake had the feeling that the other girls were sharing in her shock over the details that had been revealed. It couldn't be argued with, though. They had all seen what Violet was capable of, and how it went beyond what was normally capable with a semblance.

The cat faunus was sneaking a glance at her team leader when she heard Violet's scroll vibrate. Blake took note of the small smile that quirked her lips. The cat faunus quickly bumped into Yang to get her attention, waiting for the blond to regain her focus. Blake gestured with her head over towards their team leader.

The blond was fast on the uptake, seeing both the scroll and Violet's expression. Yang grinned, "Who you talking with, Vi? Some secret lover boy?"

Violet turned the screen to face them with a mischievous grin of her own, more than ready to fire back with her own taunts, "Yeah. I'm hooking up with your _uncle_ later," Violet threw an arm around Yang's shoulders, "Hope you're ready to be my _nieces~_ "

Yang screwed her eyes shut and paled, making visible gagging motions as if forcing a finger down her throat, "Oh god, that was not something I wanted to picture! He's like forty!"

Their leader laughed, clear and melodical, "You're never too old for love, dear." The grin remained as she leaned in closer to Yang, arm still around her, "Now that I'm basically your aunt, I'll have to make sure you're raised right. You can start by cleaning your room when we get back~"

The blond narrowed her eyes, "That's _all_ our room."

"Don't talk back to your aunt like that young lady!" Violet laughed and skipped a few steps forward to spin around and face them while she walked backwards, "That goes for you too, Little Red~ Auntie Vi wants to sit in peace and watch her stories, so no loud music, okay?"

Ruby giggled, "Yes, Auntie Vi," Blake caught the younger girl's eyes darting in her direction, "Is it alright if I bring a friend home?"

Violet gave Blake a playful frown, "Do you mean that _Belladonna_ girl? I heard she was running with the wrong crowd, Little Red. I don't want you getting mixed up in any _funny_ business."

"Oh she's past that, honest!" Ruby rushed out.

Violet's smile returned, "Well, that's quite alright then, Dear. Auntie can _never_ have enough cats~"

While the faunus's first reaction was to be offended at the comment, Blake couldn't bring herself to be. She knew her leader hadn't meant to be demeaning at all. Still, Blake narrowed her eyes at Violet for good measure to show the prospect of a cat faunus being 'owned' wasn't exactly appreciated, either.

Violet's act faltered when she noticed Blake's expression, her hand moving up to her mouth as if to forcibly shut herself up, "Sorry Blake. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know you didn't," Blake shook her head and sighed, then smiled weakly despite herself, looking at the floor, ' _I can't be mad at you. Not after all you've done for me… And..._ '

Yang and Violet began bickering amongst each other while Blake zoned out into her own thoughts, the words that Yang had said coming back to mind, ' _Violet thinks of us all like family._ '

It really didn't bode well for Blake if her feelings were going to go unrequited. The faunus had never been 'family-zoned' before, but it hardly inspired confidence. ' _Maybe I should just cut my losses…_ ' If Blake could just accept Violet as she was, instead of looking to get more out of their leader, then perhaps that would be enough.

' _Violet is already a better leader than I ever could have hoped for. Do I really want to risk that for a… a crush?_ '

"What do you think, Blake?"

The faunus was stirred from her internal struggle by Violet saying her name. Her eyes darted back and forth between the three faces looking at her as they walked and felt the heat rise in her cheeks, "Uhm, sorry. I wasn't listening. What was the question?"

Violet gave Blake a curious frown, "I was asking if everyone wanted to go see a movie again next weekend. We could all use a little break from classes and hunting down bad guys."

The heat stayed in her cheeks when she noticed Yang giving her a knowing smile, "Uh, sure… They are kind of loud, though…"

Their leader beamed, "That's fine, I can help you out again. I don't mind!" Violet spun back around to march in front of them, hands clasped behind her back, "Now that's settled, I'm going to need your help, Little Red."

"Me?" Ruby sounded confused.

"Yes, you," Violet spared an eye over her shoulder to the small red reaper, "I have a feeling you'll be good at coming up with team attack names. We should get those worked out before training starts, so everyone knows which combos they're learning."

Ruby's eyes shone, "That sounds like fun!"

Violet nodded, "I thought you'd want to," she looked ahead again but raised her hands, "For instance, Yang and Blake's team attack name can be ' _Bumblebee_ '!" Her hands clasped together, depicting how the two color themes were supposed to mesh.

Yang smiled lightly and punched Blake, "I like it."

Blake nodded in response. It did sound like a good idea. ' _I wonder what Violet's and my attack name will be called?_ ' Her mind couldn't help but wander to the way celebrity couples combined their names and compare it to what they were doing... At least _this_ time she managed to fight back the blush.

Violet pulled her scroll out of her pocket as they approached the door to their dorm, unlocking it with a swift wave past the lock's sensor. Their leader stepped into the room and held the door open for them expectantly, gesturing for them to enter. Blake started to step inside, but was yanked back by Yang who had suddenly grabbed a hold of the faunus's wrist.

Blake shot the blond an irritated frown, but was ignored as the pair of lavender eyes looked past her to their leader.

" _Actually_ , I think it's best if Blakey and I go start training together right now."

Violet tilted her head to the side, a spark of _something_ igniting in her eyes, "Is that so?"

Yang gave Blake a quick wink and started to pull her away, down the hallway opposite of where they'd come from, "Umm, yeah. Better sooner rather than later, right?"

Oddly enough, Violet gave them one of her 'knowing' smiles, ' _What does she think is happening right now? What_ _**is**_ _happening right now!?_ '

"Have her back by nine!" Violet shouted with a smirk, then hauled Ruby into the room before shutting the door. Blake was left alone with the very handsy blond, and wasted no time pulling herself free of her teammate's grip.

Yang shook her head as they turned away and began walking in earnest, " _Honestly_. How can Violet be so perceptive, yet so _dense_ at the same time?"

"I'm probably more confused than she is… What are we _doing_ , Yang?"

The blond gave her a mischievous smile, "Training! Like I said."

" _Training_ ," Blake replied flatly, giving her a suspicious eye and noting the direction they were headed, "We certainly aren't on our way to the weapon lockers."

Yang shook her head, "We're just going to the gym. It's quiet this early in the morning, and I think better while I'm working out."

"Why does _that_ not surprise me?" Blake gave a bemused smile. The direction they were heading _was_ actually to the gym, "And why the sudden interest in bringing _me_ with you?"

"Because we have girl stuff to work out."

' _Girl stuff…?_ ' Blake gave an exasperated sigh, "Yang, we might have only known each other for about a month, but you should have realized by now that I'm not the type to talk about ' _girl stuff_ '."

"Whaaat? Nonsense," Yang gave her a playful smile, "If you'd like, I could even get Siren to kick Ren out of their dorm for a while and we could have a girl's night. Minus Violet and Ruby, of course."

Blake grimaced, "I don't think that would help my standing with Violet. They would probably be wondering why they weren't included. Ren wouldn't appreciate that much, either."

"Oh, he'd be fine," Yang tapped her chin, "You're right, though. Ruby at least wouldn't take it very well. I guess you're just stuck with me, kitty cat."

"I am not an _animal_ , Yang."

"No. You're a part of this _family_ , and if you ever want Violet to be more than that, then you should _talk_ to me."

Blake sighed, ' _She has a point…_ '

The blonde seemed content to take that as acceptance and leave it be for the moment. The pair continued down the hallway through a few more twists and turns, eventually finding their way to the gym.

"Here we are!" Yang punctuated the statement as they reached the door by yanking it open and waiting for Blake to enter.

The 'gym' of Beacon Academy was massive, easily two hundred feet across with a few dozen sets of every piece of workout equipment you could ask for. The room was separated by cleared out lanes, more just lines of open floor space than actual walkways. In the center of it all were four boxing rings, set aside for those that wished to train their skill in hand to hand combat.

"So... what first?" Blake asked passively, eyeing the extensive collection of machines. Yang led them over to a set of weight machines, designed to work similar to a bench press but with a system of pulleys to make it easier on the user.

"We can warm up first, then maybe a spar?"

After a look towards the ring, Blake turned back to Yang and glowered, "Which one of us was the hand to hand specialist again? You and I _both_ know that won't be much of a challenge for you."

"Sure won't!" Yang said with a hint of amusement, "Guess you'll have your work cut out for you in more ways than one."

They each sat down on one of the machines, the black cushioned material at least comfortable to sit on while other parts of your body would be forced to endure self-inflicted punishment. Blake took an extra moment to study the machine, recalling how it functioned exactly, ' _Not my favorite…_ '

Yang wasted no time in grabbing the metal pin from the stack of weights and lowering it all the way down to two hundred. Immediately, the blond bombshell began doing repetitions at a speed that baffled Blake. Yang's muscles rippled as she raised the stack of weights then allowed it to dip back down, nearly allowing the weights to slam against those beneath, but always pulling them up short.

"Ah, _yeah!_ Feel the _burn!_ " Yang shouted, smiling despite the strain on her face.

"Now we know which of us is _actually_ an animal..."

The blond grinned, "Damn straight, Blakey. Now stop staring and give me fifty!"

The faunus rolled her eyes and leaned back in her own seat, reaching down for the pin to set it to a more comfortable weight. She had visited the gym on only a few other occasions, enough to know how the machines worked for the most part. No matter how much she avoided it, coming here was inevitable with _Yang_ as a teammate. The faunus let her mind zone out as she began doing her own set.

While it wasn't her favorite place in the school, their team had already shared a few good memories in the gym, of all places. Blake smiled, thinking back to the first time Yang had brought them all here. Violet had pranked them all, making it seem as if Ruby could lift more weight than her older sister could.

Their leader's taunting had given it away. That and the fact that Ruby simply wasn't built to be a powerhouse like Yang was. The blond had set fire to a few of the machines around her in her literal meltdown, then demanded that Violet spar with her right then and there. The greatsword wielder had done surprisingly well with just her bare hands, an achievement she attributed to her semblance, and very overzealous personal trainers.

In the end, the blond had won that fight, if not as quickly as she'd hoped. Violet had still refused to take any of their weight training seriously, instead relying on her semblance to remain as pristine as ever on their later outings to the gym.

' _I suppose it is a useless exercise for someone that can remove mass from whatever she's carrying…_ ' That truth hadn't sat well with Yang, who still considered it sacrilege to not take fitness seriously. Violet _was_ in shape, though, if not on Yang's level.

It seemed Yang had finished her set, letting the weights slowly fall back into place before stretching her arms out above her head, " _So_. First things first. What do you like _most_ about Violet?"

Blake stopped in the middle of her own set, letting the weights drop slowly to rest atop those beneath, ' _What do I like most?_ ' That was a difficult question… There were a lot of things to choose from... Blake sat in silence, thinking it over.

Yang smirked, "Is it her voluptuous figure?"

Blake glared at the blond, "I'm not that shallow, Yang."

She raised her hands defensively, "Just checking. That's good! It means you might actually have a shot at making things work out between you two. If it _was_ purely physical, this conversation would be going a lot differently."

"How so?"

"Well, I'd be telling you it'll never work out between you," Yang rolled her shoulders and began doing another set with less weight, "So what is it? Is it because she likes faunus so much?"

' _ **Is**_ _that why?_ ' Blake thought it over before shaking her head, "That certainly helps, but it's far from the only reason."

"Is it because she's a capable fighter? I mean, she's been getting closer and closer to finally beating Pyrrha, and now with the whole ' _maiden_ ' thing…"

Blake's eyes darted about the room, already knowing that they were alone but still paranoid enough to double check. She gave Yang a mild glower, "I started liking her _long_ before any of _that_."

The blond brushed off Blake's disapproval and perked up, "When _did_ you start liking her?"

Blake thought back to the first time she had met Violet, a day before the girl would end up being her team leader, "The first time we met… I don't know, I just had this sense from her. Like she was…"

"Someone you could trust?" Yang interjected into the momentary gap, pausing in her workout to tilt her head in the faunus's direction.

"Yeah... Yeah, that's right."

"I... know what you mean," the blond lowered her weights. They made a quiet clang of metal on metal as she sat forward, "I don't like to bring it up much, but… do you remember the story about how we first met?"

"The time that she used her powers to save you and Ruby?"

Yang nodded, "I couldn't explain it at the time, but when I first met her, there was this sense… Like everything would be okay. In some ways, I think I still feel it whenever I'm around her. I thought maybe she was just a natural leader, the perfect person to be picked for the role on our team, but…"

Blake nodded, "It goes beyond just being a good leader. I _want_ to agree with her, want to be _around_ her," the faunus gave a disheartened laugh, "I want to be with Violet because she inspires that confidence in _me_. I don't have to run away from my issues, as long as she's there _with_ me."

"It isn't fair. One person, having all that charisma. She's even got Cardin on the right track."

"You don't think…?"

"That she likes Cardin?" Yang doubled over, laughing as she clutched her stomach, "Not in a million years! We both heard what Violet said about him back in the cafeteria. At best, Cardin's gone from 'extra' to 'pet project'. She looks at him the same way my dad does when he gets our dog to _roll over_."

"You have a point there," Blake admitted, ' _Violet treats him like a curiosity more than anything._ ' The faunus leaned forward, "Do you think we should help with whatever Violet's trying to do?"

"Teaching Cardin how to fight?" Yang grimaced at the idea, "I don't want to waste my time with him. Besides, if our leader wanted our help, she would ask for it."

Blake frowned, "Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?" Yang stood up as she asked, gesturing for Blake to follow and leading the pair a short distance to another set of machines. These were designed to workout your calf muscles by straightening out your legs against the weights.

It gave Blake a moment to get her thoughts in order as they set up, each plopping down on one across from each other. Once again, Yang set her pin to a weight that had the faunus shaking her head.

Blake set the bar a little higher for herself. Her legs were a powerful asset in the maneuvers that she did, and were a key aspect in how she managed to fight so acrobatically. It was something that their leader hadn't been afraid to compliment her on many occasions. The praise had been nice to hear, especially from her crush.

With her thoughts now gathered, Blake continued where they had left off, "I mean, Violet is always trying to _help_ people. She's always trying to lighten the load, you know?" Blake paused, a small revelation coming to mind, "It kind of matches her semblance, now that I think about it."

"Figuratively _and_ literally removing the weight from other people's shoulders?" Yang had a far off look, then glanced back to Blake and nodded, "That makes sense. If it was important, I still think she would ask, though. Violet invited Ruby and me to join your stakeout _and_ the attack on the docks."

"True…" Blake paused in her reps, "But now Violet has this whole..." she glanced around the room and lowered her voice, "...' _maiden_ ' thing to worry about. How much can one person deal with before it all comes crashing down?"

"You should give her more credit. Violet seems fine enough to me."

"Aside from the time you made her _cry_?" Blake made the accusation lightly, she had been a part of that as well.

"Hey! We still don't know _what_ that was about," Yang shot back, flustered enough to stop her current set early and let out a few deep breaths.

Blake shifted uncomfortably, "I got a clue last night."

At a look from Yang, the faunus decided to divulge more. It felt like a violation of the other girl's trust, but if it was all meant to help their leader...

"Violet was upset that she couldn't help _sooner_. From what I could tell... it sounded like she failed to save someone in the past."

The blond opened her mouth, a question clear on her lips, but Blake raised her hands, "She didn't tell me who. I'm just guessing."

The blond stopped what she had been about to say and sat back, in thought, "I don't suppose we could try and look up names of anyone close to her she might have lost?"

"That would be a huge invasion of privacy…"

"I know, but… don't you _want_ to help?"

"Of course I do. That's just…" Blake sighed, "That's going too far. If she doesn't tell us, then maybe we can ask later on. I don't want to go digging through her past, though."

Yang raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, we won't snoop," the blond shook her head, "None of this is getting you closer to what you want."

"I _want_ to spend as much time with Violet as I can…"

"And more?"

"...and more."

Yang smiled, "Well, the theater will be a good place to start. We can work our way up to it. Start making little efforts along the way to get Violet to notice you," the blond gave a sly grin, "Maybe then it can end up a _date_ , instead of just a friendly outing."

"You mean a _family_ outing?"

Yang laughed, "Hey, my _own_ mom was a total bust. I could learn to love two aunts instead."

Blake smirked, "You're going to have to keep your dog locked up whenever I visit."

"What, you don't like dogs, kitty cat?"

"Dogs don't like _me_."

"Nonsense, Zwei loves everybody!"

Their conversation devolved into more casual conversation as the two continued their workout. Both offering up ideas on what Blake might be able to do to change the way Violet thought about her. The faunus had to shoot down a few of the more… risque ideas that Yang offered up, while the blond did the same for some of Blake's ideas that were far too unromantic.

While they sat and chat, Yang continued to put Blake through her paces, pressuring the faunus into doing more than she'd ever done before. It was a welcome distraction from her own bashfulness and anxiety due to the subject of their conversation. After a couple hours, the pair were ready to head back to their room, get a shower in, and spend the afternoon with their teammates.

* * *

Violet watched the pair leave for a moment longer before pulling Ruby into the room. She sighed, leaning back against the door after it had closed and shut her eyes, "Ah, young love."

Ruby had been in the process of walking over to her desk but froze, slowly turning on her heel to frown at Violet, "What?"

Violet smirked, "Sorry, Little Red. As much as I'd love to share, I'm going to have to respect your sister's taboo on this one. Not supposed to talk about 'adult stuff' around you."

"Has that _ever_ stopped you before?"

Violet tapped a finger against her chin, "It's stopped me from _actually_ saying anything. I might have fun teasing Yang over it, but I hardly want to be the first to 'corrupt' you."

The little reaper sighed and rolled her eyes, "I'm not _stupid_. I pretend like I don't know anything when Yang is around because she'd probably beat up anyone that _looked_ at me that way."

' _Well that opens up so many more chances for teasing Yang. Thank you for the ammunition, Little Red._ '

Ruby seemed to understand from the devious look on Violet's face that she might have started plotting nefarious acts, "Hey! I want to keep it that way until there _is_ someone I like. So no messing with Yang!"

Violet groaned, "What? Not even a little bit?"

"No!"

"Fiiiiine," Violet walked over and sat on her bed, slumping her head into her hand and patting the space next to her in an invitation for Ruby to sit.

"Well, for your information, I think Yang and Blake are gonna hook up," Violet shook her head, sounding like an exasperated parent, "Sneaking off to the 'gym' together. They grow up so _fast_. Auntie Vi is proud."

"Uhm…" Ruby shifted awkwardly, her hands going to her skirt as she stared at the floor, "I don't think _that's_ what they're doing…"

"Oh? Know something I don't? Please tell~ What makes you so sure those two aren't sneaking off to do anything _indecent_?"

Ruby was distressed, or just embarrassed. The younger girl smoothed out her skirt after her own hands had bunched it up, still hesitant to answer, "I… have my reasons."

"Keeping secrets?" Violet put her hands to her face as if in mild shock, "You can't leave Auntie Vi in the dark like this!"

When Ruby still refused to answer, Violet adopted a smile, as if the younger girl's deepest desires had been laid bare, "Or perhaps you just don't _want_ to believe? Trying to keep Blake for _yourself_ , Little Red?"

Ruby sputtered, incapable of forming words together as her eyes widened.

Violet leaned forward with a glint in her eye, "What's the matter? _Cat_ got your tongue? It's okay, I'll break the news to your dearest sister as gently as I can," her expression grew sad, "I'm sorry, Yang. Your sister… loves catgirls!"

Ruby glared, "No, you dummy! Blake likes _you!_ "

' _What?_ ' Violet's eyebrows knit together in confusion, "I don't know what made you think that, Ruby, but you've gotta be wrong."

" _Blake_ admitted to it last night!"

Silence dominated the room as the two looked at each other. Ruby slowly realized what she had said and drew in on herself, giving worried looks to Violet, "Y-You didn't hear it from me! Blake would kill me if she found out I told you!"

' _Blake likes me…!? That's ridiculous…_ ' The more Violet thought about it though, the more it made sense. She had swooped in and helped to patch together the faunus girl's life in less than a month. Violet had done everything in her power to get on the girl's good side, and to make her feel at home with her new team.

' _I even got her to talk to her parents again… and saved her life…_ '

The time in the theater came back to mind. How Blake had been cuddled up against her for the entire movie, practically clinging to Violet right up until the end. How she'd been surprised when Violet moved, as if she hadn't even noticed the movie was over... The way she sighed when Violet stopped rubbing her back… How she'd bought her a book from 'the first time they met'…

"Okay… so maybe Blake has a crush on me…" Violet turned her eyes back to Ruby, "What am I supposed to do?"

"I mean… do you like her?" the younger girl asked cautiously, trying to get a read on what Violet was feeling but failing.

' _That isn't really the point. I might be in the body of a seventeen year old, but I'm God…_ ' Violet had been in physical relationships before, once up a time. It could be fun to pass the night away in the arms of another, but it had never been _serious_. ' _I can't string Blake along like that…_ '

"You _don't_ like her that way…" Ruby whispered, eyes once again going wide as she leaned back away from Violet, "Why not?"

"It's… complicated," Violet responded, racking her brain for the easiest excuse. ' _I could say I'm not into girls…_ ' That _could_ work. It would be another lie, though, and she was sick of lying. ' _I also haven't exactly been the most reserved around Yang when it comes to that sort of thing… I've made more than enough suggestive remarks about girls and guys to tip her off..._ ' The blond would certainly call her out on it. If not in front of Blake, then at least in private.

"Is it because she's a faunus?"

"What? Of course not!" Violet exclaimed, shaking her head emphatically.

Ruby raised her hands, "I didn't really think so… It's just… Blake is a really nice girl, ya know? I couldn't think of any other reason…"

' _Gah! How did I deal with this in the past?_ ' Had she ever had to? Even after actively letting the memories come rushing back, many of them were still a blur. Her mind had focused mainly on the battles and friends she had along the way. Trying to pick out a specific memory or feeling in the mix was next to impossible. If Violet focused on one memory, it would simply bleed into another.

' _I've lived so many lives… Have I ever had a romantic relationship?_ ' Violet couldn't remember a single marriage, a single vow uttered… Like a boiling pot, some memories rose to the surface, bubbles that popped the instant she tried to interact with them. All things considered, the attempt was giving her a headache.

"I just… haven't thought of anyone that way," Violet admitted finally, turning her gaze back to the younger girl next to her.

" _Never?_ " Ruby was astounded by the idea, "Even _I've_ thought of others that way before."

"Anyone your sister should be worried about?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes, "You're not getting out of this that easily. No changing the subject!" the girl huffed out and crossed her arms, "Well, now is your chance to give it a shot."

' _It isn't that simple. You're all going to die, eventually. Then I'll be left alone again… I don't… I don't_ _ **want**_ _to fall for anyone._ '

' _Ah…_ ' the memories came flooding back, more resilient now as Violet's mind aligned with past experiences. She had _always_ avoided going too far with anyone, afraid of hurting not them, but herself. ' _It's the ultimate truth… and the one I try to forget the most... My destiny is to be alone._ ' It was the reason she created so many worlds. At least then she could lessen the isolation.

"I don't know, Ruby…"

"What is there to not know? You can at least _try_ , Violet. Come on, where's my fearless leader when we need her? Give Blake a chance," Ruby was now leaning far too close, silver eyes burning into Violet's with a determination that was usually reserved for killing Grimm.

" _Okay_ , Ruby," Violet leaned back to escape the reaper's fierce gaze, ' _It will never work, but… maybe I can start things off slow? Blake likes books..._ '

Violet nodded to herself, ' _I'll create a book that will express my issues and present them in the story… Then I can ask Blake how she feels about it…_ ' It was the safest way to get an idea for how the faunus might take the truth, and give Violet the chance to break it off without having to reveal too much.

' _And what would be the end goal from there?_ '

Violet _was_ God… ' _Bending the laws of reality are kind of my whole thing. It wouldn't be too hard to elevate one of my creations to a similar level…_ '

The idea sent shivers down her spine. Beings like the pretend gods of Remnant were simple to create, ' _Someone like me, though?..._ ' The idea was as terrifying as it was welcoming.

Could she subject someone else to eternal life? ' _I wouldn't be alone, then._ _ **We**_ _wouldn't be alone._ ' They would have each other.

"Do you promise you'll give it your best shot?" Ruby leaned forward once again after Violet had been quiet for so long.

Violet nodded, "I promise, Ruby."

"Good!" the girl rearranged herself on Violet's bed, leaning over to her desk to grab a notebook, "Now, what should our team attack be called?"

"I don't know. That's what _you're_ here for, Little Red."

* * *

Violet tried to keep the awkward atmosphere to a minimum when Yang and Blake returned. The faunus stole the first shower, rushing into the bathroom before the blond even had a chance to get a word in edgewise. Once Blake had returned, Violet chatted her up a bit. She seemed to have calmed down compared to how she'd been earlier in the morning, which Violet was supremely thankful for.

Violet allowed herself to dip into her powers. An iota of effort was all it took to produce a book that would encapsulate her deepest issues, and darkest secrets. There was no hint towards the protagonist being Violet in particular, only that the main character was a God that dealt with all the same struggles as she did.

Blake was overly pleased by the gift and began reading it almost immediately. The faunus took the time to give Violet a prolonged hug, one that Violet couldn't bring herself to interrupt early. Blake hopped up on top of her bunk and delved into the book, reading it for most of the afternoon.

Yang tried to help Ruby and Violet come up with team attack names, mostly suggesting lines from the fighting game she was playing. Every now and then, the two would look up from the notebook to share a look with each other and just shake their heads. It culminated into Ruby finally telling her sister that she couldn't shout 'Kamehameha' while Violet fired off Zenith since that really wasn't a _team_ attack.

"Oh come on! I can even use my semblance at the same time and make my hair burn gold!" Yang begged, giving Violet a simpering look, lower lip trembling slightly.

Ruby smacked Violet on top of the head with the notebook when the team leader started to consider it, then turned her attention to her older sister, "The attack name for Zenith is already ' _Smite_ ', and involves me using _my_ semblance to get Violet in position while she uses _her_ semblance to make herself weightless."

Yang grumbled, "Well, I want a cool attack combo…"

"You _have_ one. ' _Bumblebee_ ' is when Blake swings you around by her weapon's ribbon to launch you at the enemy."

The blond stopped to think it over, sharing a glance with Blake who had looked down at the mention of her name, "That would be pretty cool."

"You're going to have to drop a few pounds," Blake smirked.

"No, _you'll_ have to take upper body training more seriously," Yang replied with an evil grin, "We can start tomorrow. I'll push you harder than I did today."

Blake didn't appear happy at the prospect, "My aura hasn't even healed my muscles yet from earlier. If we do more I'll be dead tired the rest of the day."

Yang thought it over, "That's fine. Violet can use her semblance to make getting around easier afterwards." The blond smiled, proud of her own plan.

Violet could see through it easily enough. Her semblance could make life after workouts a lot smoother for Blake. The only issue was that she and Blake would have to be practically attached at the hip if Violet wanted to keep the effect up all day without wearing herself out. ' _You aren't as sly as you think, Xiao Long._ '

Blake went red in the face but didn't seem all that surprised by the suggestion, and darted her eyes back to the book Violet had given her, "Th-That… would be entirely up to Violet."

Yang's eyes swivelled around to face Violet, while Blake and Ruby shot glances in her direction to see how she was taking the idea.

' _Did they plan this out together?_ '

Violet sighed, lips curling into a small smile, "Anything for my team. I guess you should message me on your scroll when you need me to stop by the gym. I'll be sure to pick you up."

"Great! We can work out before classes so that our afternoon stays free!" Yang cheered.

Blake groaned, ears going flat against the top of her head, "We would be getting up at 6am at the latest…"

Yang waved her off, "You can take a cat nap after classes."

The faunus tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling as if in prayer, "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You ended up on the best team in Beacon, that's how!" Ruby cheered.

" _Excuse me!?_ " the sound of Nora came through their door before she began pounding on it, "Siren is the best team in this school!"

Ruby jumped up to unlock the door, a brief blur of red, followed by a click and another blur as she returned to Violet's bed.

"You know, your semblance might as well be teleportation sometimes…" Violet admitted, giving the small reaper an appreciative smile.

"That's why team Vibrant is the best!" Ruby shouted happily, making sure she was loud enough for Nora to hear as the girl stepped into the room.

"Oh, please. Pyrrha can unlock our door without getting up!" Nora challenged, putting her hands on her hips, "Now, are you lazy butts coming down to dinner or what? You've been locked in your room all day!"

The group collectively checked the time on their individual scrolls, realizing as one that it was six in the afternoon. Dinner was already being served in the cafeteria. ' _It was a good thing I brought everyone breakfast earlier…_ '

Violet's stomach still grumbled in protest, now revealing how empty it felt. It seemed like it was a feeling shared by the other girls in the room, as they all hurriedly put on footwear and followed Nora out to the cafeteria.

"So what were you doing all day?" Nora asked, skipping along ahead of the pack as they joined the dinner line.

"Playing games."

"Reading."

"Coming up with team attack names."

"Ooooooh~, team attacks? We aren't supposed to learn those for a couple more weeks, right?"

Violet shrugged, "Yeah, but what are you going to call out when you and Ren attack something together?"

Nora paused in the middle of adding sausages to her plate to stare off into the distance, her brow furrowing.

"See? Better to come up with them now, right?"

Nora hurriedly filled her plate and ran off to the table that held the other three members of team Siren, slamming her tray down between Ren and Pyrrha. Some of her food splattered across the table, drawing the ire of Weiss, who spared a very disapproving frown. All three listened to her as she began to ramble about needing names.

By the time Vibrant had finished gathering their food and headed over, the table had grown silent. Each member was deep in thought, trying to come up with names to use.

"Hard, isn't it? Ruby and I have been at it all day," Violet confessed, setting her tray down and sitting next to the heiress.

"What are some of the names you used?" Weiss asked, pleading for Violet's assistance with a pair of light blue eyes.

Ruby dropped her plate down across the table from them and sat down heavily, "No way! You don't get to steal our ideas, we worked hard on those!"

"I'm just looking for inspiration, Ruby," Weiss shot back, "Your names probably wouldn't work for us anyway."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, untrusting of the heiress across from her. Violet decided to split the difference and offer up a name that she had already heard being used before, "You could call Ren and Nora's team attack ' _Flower Power_ '."

"How is _that_ supposed to inspire fear in our enemies?" Weiss replied, immediately dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand, "If the rest of your team's names are like that, maybe it's best if we do come up with our own."

Violet simply shrugged, giving out a slight laugh, ' _I suppose Jaune would be the only one to think that was a good idea._ '

While the rest of her team bickered amongst themselves on what names they should use, Pyrrha appeared to be mostly indifferent. The red headed champion smiled down the table to team Vibrant, her plate already finished, "Did any of you hear about the explosion down at the docks?"

The simultaneous acts of Ruby's eyes going wide, Yang suddenly choking on her food, and Blake shrinking down in her seat, were followed by Violet giving her best curious frown, "What explosion?"

The entirety of Siren gave Violet the flattest stare she had ever seen. Violet let out a quick "Oh! _That_ explosion. Yeah, we heard about it." It didn't seem to have fooled anyone.

"You were there, weren't you," the statement from Ren had no inclination towards being an actual question. It was delivered just as flatly as his team's stares, and with twice the disbelief.

Violet rubbed the back of her head, a slight quirk of a smile threatening her lips, "We… might have, yeah."

"No kill like overkill, right?" Weiss mocked, repeating back the phrase that Violet had once uttered, "I'm guessing your ridiculous weapon was the cause?"

"It wasn't her fault!" Ruby shouted in Violet's defense, "The bullhead kinda… lost control after it got hit."

" _You shot a bullhead!?_ " Nora exclaimed, jumping up from her seat to lean further down the table.

The entire group paused as they all noticed the complete silence that permeated the cafeteria. All eyes were focused on them.

"Haha, _yeah_... That was a fun mission in that _game_ we were playing, _right_ Yang?" Violet projected her voice as well as she could.

Yang was a little slow on the uptake, but after a second of hesitation caught on to what Violet was doing, "Ha, I remember that mission! It was really fun!"

"Shooting down bullheads isn't a game, you guys," Nora chastised, shaking her head.

Violet slammed her head down against the table in front of her, ' _Damn it, Nora._ '

Ren raised his voice and grabbed Nora by the shoulder, pushing her back down into a sitting position on the bench, "No, don't you remember? We played that game with them yesterday, Nora."

' _Thank you, Ren!_ '

After a few more tense seconds, the mood in the room gradually shifted back to general disinterest as the other groups there went back to their own conversations. Violet let out a sigh of relief, echoed by several others sitting at the table.

"Honestly, Nora," Weiss was holding her face in her hand in exasperation, "A little more subtly, please."

Violet shook her head and lifted it back up to look at Siren, "Okay, yes. I shot down a bullhead."

"But _why_?" Pyrrha asked in hushed tones.

Blake leaned forward as well, finally recovered from having dozens of people staring in their direction, "Roman Torchwick was trying to steal a dust shipment. We tried to stop him and it… ended badly."

"Father must have been _furious_ …" Weiss said to no one in particular. Violet smiled, knowing without a doubt that the heiress was likely cheering them on but couldn't show it.

Blake paled, realizing who she had confessed to. The cat faunus was visibly shaking, "Oh, Weiss! I'm sorry! We didn't mean to blow up the docks!"

Weiss waved her hand dismissively, "I know that, you dolt. Father won't hear a word out of me about it. I'm not _here_ for the SDC _or_ my father."

The faunus was doubtful at first, but at a nudge from Violet, seemed to accept Weiss's words as the truth. The heiress gave a firm nod, "Besides, if that Torchwick fellow was going to steal them anyway, it hardly makes a difference."

"Oh, right," Violet gave Blake a tentative smiled then turned back to Weiss, "The White Fang were working for Roman. We haven't figured out why, though. He's as racist as they come."

Weiss sighed, "Why didn't you ask us for help? We would have gone with you. I could have even alerted the dock workers ahead of time since it's likely owned by the SDC."

"It… didn't occur to me?" Blake replied, giving an apologetic shrug, "My first instinct when it comes to the SDC wasn't to go _to_ them with information…"

" _I_ am _not_ the SDC," Weiss shot back vehemently. She took a few deep breaths before continuing in a lighter tone, "My last name may be in the title, but I... do not approve of the way it is being run."

"If that's the case," Violet put an arm around the heiress's shoulders, "then maybe you won't mind helping us on our next outing, Ms. Schnee?"

"Wait. Since when was there a _next_ time?" Yang asked, giving Violet a frown.

"Since we didn't _actually_ catch Roman Torchwick," Violet replied, sparing a glance to the blond, "He isn't behind bars, is he?"

"Would he even stay there with his little assistant with him? How do you catch someone that can _teleport?_ "

Weiss had seized up at the contact of Violet's arm around her, and brought two fingers up to delicately pluck her hand off, "As _intriguing_ as that sounds, _we_ are still _students_. Let the real hunters deal with Torchwick."

Violet shook her head. She had kept an eye on the world since its inception, and the truth was, most hunters were about as skilled as Dee and Dudley; inept to their core. Most of the others at the table with her wouldn't have realized it by now, still being young as they were, but the whole lot of them were extraordinarily exceptional.

' _There's a reason none of us have any competition in combat class aside from each other._ '

Torchwick was better than ninety percent of the hunters that devoted their lives to protecting the world, and with Neo at his side... ' _He's untouchable for any regular hunters._ ' The only ones that would have a chance at successfully bringing them in would be those at Qrow or Glynda's skill level, at the very least.

' _Now there's an idea…_ ' Could she recruit Qrow to the cause and get him involved earlier? He was here much sooner than he should be, due to Violet's inclusion in events. ' _I could use that to my advantage._ ' She could even tip Qrow off about Cinder and the gang once they showed themselves at Beacon. He may not have seen their faces, but their general look? ' _Put them in a line up and even old drunkle Qrow could spot the similarities._ '

Violet let her mind return to the conversation at hand but put a pin in that idea for later. An experienced, older huntsman with the power to turn into a bird at will was an incredibly valuable asset.

"-can handle ourselves better than most hunters, Weiss," Blake was still arguing with the heiress, albeit in a very reserved tone to avoid further attention gathering to their table.

"She's right, you know," Violet interjected, cutting off the heiress before she could retort, "You're more skilled and better equipped than the majority of hunters that protect the city. We _all_ are."

"That doesn't explain why you would need _me_ ," Weiss replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well~ If Roman is targeting the SDC shipments, then we could use a little insider information on potential targets… and if your team wanted to join in some 'after school activities'… We could use the help."

"I don't know…"

"Either way, you have a week to think it over," Violet gave her a reassuring smile, "We're taking a week off from any more dangerous missions to stay caught up on school work."

"And we're going to the movies on Saturday, if you wanted to join us for that," Ruby chipped in.

"That too."

Weiss glanced uncertainly at her team. While Nora appeared to be all for the idea, Ren and Pyrrha were both more reserved. The heiress turned back to team Vibrant, "The least I could do is provide you with shipment details. Aside from that… we'll have to talk amongst ourselves later. I didn't really expect my life as a huntress to start only a month after the first day of school."

"Fair enough," Violet nodded.

"Oh no…" Yang glanced around at her team in horror, "That reminds me… I haven't finished that history report for Professor Oobleck yet…"

Ruby and Blake both looked guilty of it as well.

Violet let out a small sigh, "You can copy off mine, just change up some of the words… As long as it looks like we studied together, it should be fine."

Yang frowned, but seemed thankful for the offer, "When did you find the time? You've been as busy as the rest of us!"

The team leader waved it off, "I do Oobleck's homework ahead of time. It's easy enough to figure out what he's going to assign if you read ahead in the textbook."

The blond shook her head, dumbfounded, "Another superpower. It has to be. There's no other explanation."

Blake and Ruby both shot Yang a warning glare, but team Siren was currently wrapped up in their own discussion. From the sounds of it, it would take a bit more persuading to get them to go along. Violet wasn't at all surprised. Without Ruby's influence as Weiss's team leader, the heiress had maintained a more reserved outlook. ' _I guess Ruby wasn't the only one that ended up 'breaking out of her shell'. Weiss would have gained just as much out of the pairing._ '

Violet finished up the last bits of her meal and checked the time. It was already six thirty, and Qrow would likely be waiting for her soon. The team leader excused herself, letting the others know where they could find her history homework, and set off for the locker room. They quietly wished her good luck, not wanting to draw Siren's attention.

Now, all Violet had to deal with was Qrow… ' _Time to lie like my life depends on it._ '


	18. The Fifth Maiden

Qrow stood beneath one of the trees near the edge of Beacon cliff, his back against the trunk and one foot resting against it. Harbinger was clipped to his lower back, a welcome weight in these dark days. Qrow held his hand up, scroll resting in it as he watched replays from Glynda's combat classes. Ozpin had sent him several files giving him details about everything there was to know about their newest Maiden, and Qrow had started by sizing up her combat abilities.

' _The kids good_ ,' Qrow had to admit. She was a better fighter than Amber had ever been, that was for certain. The recently injured maiden had always relied too heavily on her powers, having grown up with them. Amber didn't have an appreciation for raw _combat_. The results were clear on how that attitude had panned out.

Qrow paused the video and pocketed his scroll as the sound of rustling bushes came from behind him, "Finally. I was starting to think you'd-" He cut off as he turned, his eyes being met with a familiar red instead of violet.

"Oh? I didn't think you'd be expecting little old me, Brother," Raven replied, hand on the hilt of her weapon as her eyes swept their surroundings. She stepped out from the trees and into the open, "We need to talk."

Qrow's hand drifted down to the hilt of his own weapon, but for the moment he refrained from drawing it. If God hadn't been lying, then Raven was a maiden. The pair of twins had always been near evenly matched, with Qrow's semblance being more useful in a one on one confrontation than his sister's, but with the elements at her disposal… Qrow wouldn't stand a chance.

"What do you want, Raven?" Qrow demanded, keeping a wide berth from his twin.

Raven turned her red eyes haughtily back to him after assuring herself that they were alone for the time being, "What is she, Qrow?"

"Excuse me?" Qrow narrowed his eyes, ' _How did she find out so fast?_ '

"Don't play _dumb_ , Brother. I felt Yang's distress and opened a portal, only to see what that girl did!" Raven glared, "What. Is. She?"

' _Damn her semblance!_ '

"A student at Beacon, and your _daughter's_ team leader," Qrow replied tightly, crossing his arms, "Aside from that, I don't have much to say to a child murderer."

Raven flinched back in surprise, immediately going on the defensive, "What are you talking about?"

"How could you, Raven?" Qrow could hear the pain in his voice, but he didn't care. This needed to be said, "How could you kill the Spring Maiden!? She was just a _child!_ "

Raven's demeanor returned to the status quo in less than a second, dismissing his accusation, "Don't be ridiculous. I didn't _kill_ Vernal. Who told you this nonsense?"

Qrow hesitated, a retort on his lips. He couldn't reveal his source, though, "Let's just say I have it on good authority that you _are_ the Spring Maiden. You can't lie your way out of this one."

Raven slowly circled around Qrow, hand tensed on her hilt in worry, more than as a threat, "I've heard more believable tales spun by drunks in Mistral taverns, Brother. As much as it pains me to say, I'm too _old_ to be a maiden."

"The power doesn't leave you when you get older. You killed Vernal when you were still young enough to steal the maiden's powers for yourself!"

"You're just deflecting with these ridiculous questions! The girl, Qrow! What _is_ she!?" Raven had stopped her pacing and was now staring down Qrow, hand tensed to draw as a warning not to continue with his previous questions.

Qrow didn't back down from Raven's display. There wasn't a chance in hell that he would give her any information on another maiden, even if she was too old to gain the power now. Knowing his sister, she'd try to kidnap the girl and train her up as another little murderess for the tribe, "None of your business, Raven. Go back to the tribe where you belong."

"And here I was attempting to be _civil_ ," Raven shook her head dramatically and spared Qrow a pair of pitying eyes, "If you won't tell me, I'll find out for myself. She shares a room with Yang, right? Maybe I'll stop by when everyone is asleep and have a little heart to heart after dragging her through the other side of my portal."

"Don't you dare…" Qrow growled, pulling Harbinger from his back and holding it down to the side, ready for a fight.

"All I want is an _answer_ , Qrow. You could stop this all from escalating any further… She's a maiden, isn't she? Her powers are on a whole other level, though… And the coloration..." Raven's eyes bore into Qrow's own, "Is she _Salem's_ maiden?"

"You would know all about what a maiden is capable of, wouldn't you?" Qrow retorted, "And no. She doesn't have any connection to the _witch_ , so you can stop that line of thinking right now."

"What else is there? Ozpin is too weak to have created another… Although it wouldn't be the first time he's lied to _all_ of us," Raven replied. Qrow could see the growing frustration wrinkling her face.

' _I have to give her something. If she makes good on her threat, who knows what could happen?..._ '

"There are bigger things at play here than you know. The girl is our best chance at defeating Salem for _good_. If you do anything to hinder that…" Qrow pressed down on one of the triggers along Harbinger's handle, causing the blade to spring out section by section to its full length and leveled it at Raven, "The entire tribe won't be able to keep me from getting to you."

" _Defeat_ Salem?" Raven scoffed and turned away, hand unsheathing and slashing a red portal in the air in the blink of an eye before slowly stowing it, "How many more of the wizard's _lies_ are you going to choke on, Brother?"

With that, Raven stepped into the portal and vanished, the tear in space closing with a sound unlike any other. Qrow let out a sigh and retracted his greatsword, returning it to his back. He tried to go back to his restful position against the tree, but his nerves were getting the better of him. Qrow pulled his scroll back out while he began to pace and sent a quick message to Ozpin, warning him that Raven already had some inkling of what Violet was.

" _That is unfortunate, but she likely would have found out at some point. It is difficult to stop someone that can create portals to so many of us at any time. For now, focus on training Ms. Regalia. Raven wasn't wrong, her powers have the potential to outclass any of the maidens I created. If we can get her there, then she should be capable of defending herself against Raven._ "

Qrow slipped the scroll back into his pocket and let himself calm down. It wouldn't do any good to worry about things that were out of his control, ' _Ozpin is right. I need to focus on training the girl._ '

Qrow had another ten minutes to get his nerves in check before there was yet another rustling sound coming from within the forest behind him. He waited until he had eyes on the girl before speaking this time. Violet was dressed in her combat uniform, consisting of a large open coat of deep purple, capped on the sleeves and neckline with light grey fur and trimmed in gold. Underneath was a matching set of light leather clothing. Her top had a golden zipper down the front and left a small amount of her midriff exposed, while her shorts cut off long before her knees. A pair of purple stockings ran up her legs to a few inches above the knee, each held in place by golden straps.

It was the enormous greatsword poking up from behind her shoulder blade that drew his eye the most, "You know, bigger isn't always better."

The girl caught his eye and smirked, "Oh, please. You're just jealous. Bigger is _always_ better."

"I've heard differently from many of the ladies," Qrow fully expected the girl to get embarrassed and try to change the conversation as his nieces would have. What he wasn't expecting was for her smirk to widen further.

"They're just out for a bigger _tip_ ," Violet chuckled. She stopped next to him and glanced out across the Emerald Forest, "So, what's first?"

Qrow shook himself out of his momentary shock, "Ozpin filled me in on your semblance. I'd like to see your gun in action at some point. Other than that, we'll start slow. I'll distract some weaker grimm while you try and harness your new powers and kill them."

"Ah," Violet paused at the mention of her gun, "The thing is, I only have one more shot… so unless we're going to run into a Goliath, it's probably best I don't use it."

"How do you only have one shot left?" Qrow asked, eyeing the small group of steel rounds clipped to her belt.

"Ruby," Violet replied simply, popping open a chamber along the hilt of her sword to expose what seemed like a single dust cell, "That, _and_ my shipment was included somewhere in all those cargo containers. You know, before they _exploded_. It takes a lot of lightning dust to power this baby so I have to order a special compact version directly from the SDC."

"That's a problem…" Qrow stroked his chin, "I've seen Amber use lightning before. Mainly calling it down from the sky, but also from her hands on a few instances. We can give that a shot. Maybe you can charge your weapon yourself."

"That would save me a lot of lien," Violet shrugged, "Just don't tell the SDC you helped cheat them out of one of their best customers."

Qrow walked forward to the edge of the cliff and looked down, "No time like the present. Let's get started."

With a slight nod, Violet followed him as he dropped off the cliff.

* * *

' _Qrow is a better teacher than I ever would have thought before._ '

The drunk old bird had spent the better part of half an hour coaching her as well as he could, throwing in suggestions and tips based off past experiences with Amber. It was all Violet had to go off of for how her 'powers' were supposed to function, and she ate up every bit of it. Anything to keep from exposing herself.

From the sounds of it, he had assisted Amber in a similar way once upon a time, when the now half-maiden had been attending Beacon. Ozpin had found Amber soon after she unlocked her maiden powers and had kept her close for the majority of her life, not allowing the maiden to venture out too far until he believed she was ready. ' _Yet another mistake on the wizard's part. I hope he doesn't think he can put_ _ **me**_ _on a leash._ '

Violet waved her hand and once again, a spike of amethyst-colored ice shot out along the ground and pierced up through the rib cage of the boarbatusk that Qrow was currently distracting. Violet placed her hands on her knees and breathed out, feigning fatigue, ' _I'll have to ask Jinn later whether or not this is actually supposed to take energy. I don't think it normally consumes any aura, but I'll be damned if I'm going to make myself appear any stronger than I should be._ '

No doubt Ozpin would be checking in on the pair of them through the hidden cameras in the forest. The danger of tipping off Qrow or the wizard was still in the forefront of her mind, keeping her from making any significant strides with her newfound 'maiden' powers.

"That was a little better," Qrow commented, standing back from the grimm as it made its last few death struggles and went limp, already beginning to turn to ash, "Seems like only the flames leave a body. You should stick to that whenever possible."

"Why? Do you want grimm bodies littered all over the place?"

Qrow stowed his sword and began leading Violet deeper into the Emerald Forest, "Because, if the flames kill the grimm in a way that makes them _stay_ dead, then it's better than anything else we've got. We still don't know how grimm reproduce or where their bodies go when they die. What if they aren't actually _dying_ at all?"

Violet had guessed as much, but also had to stop and wonder whether or not Qrow was lying to her, ' _Surely he's been to the grimm lands? He knows Salem can make grimm._ ' Violet knew Qrow was on the right track, though. She was destroying the very essence that allowed the grimm to function at all. Whenever they were killed normally and evaporated into ash, that essence was simply being whisked away, back to the pools left by the god of darkness. The 'god' was more like a child that had forgotten to bring his toys with him when he left as far as Violet was concerned.

' _Eventually, they're going to want me to try and do the same thing to Salem,_ ' there was no doubt about that in Violet's mind. It was the clearest solution, and one that she herself had egged on by mentioning that Ozpin was no closer to defeating Salem, as if 'Violet' was the answer being given to them by God.

' _As much as I enjoy being in this world, eventually Salem will need to be stopped. How soon that happens is up to me…_ '

Violet forcibly refrained from sighing in boredom and instead focused on letting a small charge of electricity zap between her fingertips as they walked, ' _This is really like shooting fish in a barrel. I have to pretend to be excited about all this, though. A normal person would be head over heels if they found out they had extra magical powers._ _Still, I may as well mix it up a little bit._ '

"I'm going to try charging up Zenith next, if that's okay."

Qrow glanced back over his shoulder, "Alright. Be careful. You know more about your weapon than I do, but I don't need to carry you back if that thing explodes in your face."

"That's what would happen if _you_ used it," Violet quipped before discharging the dust cell and tossing it to Qrow, "Better hold on to that. I don't want it anywhere on me while I'm charging this thing up even more."

Qrow caught it deftly and stuffed it into a pocket, "Good idea. Ozpin told me your weapon was pretty over the top. I'm hoping for a good light show at the very least."

' _You'll get more than a light show, old bird._ ' With the dust chamber closed, that left only the wind dust held in the blade and the ice dust near the hilt, both of which were kept insulated from any errant electrical charges. Violet had learned that lesson the hard way when she was first experimenting with Zenith. Henna had spent _hours_ chipping away at the ice dust that covered both the weapon and Violet's arms in the resulting explosion.

Violet transformed Zenith into its railgun form and held it across her chest, watching the coils closely as she increased the lightning coursing through her hands. With a little tweaking, she managed to get the coils lit up the same as if she had been using one of her dust cells. Like all the other elements Violet had produced, the lightning flashed across the interior in the same color as the ice and fire.

' _Aaaand now I'm Palpatine._ '

Violet spared a nod to Qrow once the stream of electricity had reached a familiar hum, "Seems good enough to me. Do you want to scout out a King Taijitu or something?"

"No need," Qrow replied, pointing off ahead of them. Violet had to squint into the dark past the light flashing from her weapon to see the small group of ersa on the other edge of the clearing, sniffing the air as if they'd caught the two hunters' scent.

Violet shrugged, "Good enough. Step aside old man. Things are about to get _loud_."

Qrow grumbled something under his breath as he stepped out of Violet's way and leaned up against a nearby tree. Violet gave herself a few more feet from him, knowing the recoil her own weapon would produce. Her other hand dropped down to one of the projectiles on her belt, which she lowered into the magnetic field a moment later. Lightning arced from the coils to the projectile the instant it entered.

Violet gave Qrow a thumbs up as it hovered in place, magnetically locked in the space between the first set of coils. The weight from Zenith was then forced into it, all forty pounds of her greatsword compacted into the much smaller piece of pure steel. Violet took aim across the clearing, leveling her weapon's sights on the middle of the pack, and pulled the trigger.

The grimm never knew what hit them.

Black furred arms and legs went flying through the air in a smattering of black blood that instantly misted, nearly evaporating from the sheer heat that boiled everything in the projectile's wake. Purple lightning trailed behind it, exploding on contact with the group of ersa. The lightning slashed through those that remained, more like wild cords of heated plasma whipping through the air than electricity. They stripped through both flesh and bone like paper.

' _I might have put too much power in that one…_ '

Violet picked herself up off the ground, the ice dust having failed to nullify the force behind the recoil. She heard Qrow coughing off to the side as he waved his hand past his face to clear the air. A shower of dirt had been kicked up around them, the smaller particles of dust still hanging in the air. A cone of vegetation and rock had been ripped open across the ground directly in front of where Zenith's barrel had ended.

Qrow coughed once again in an attempt to clear his throat, "Oz wasn't kidding…"

"That was a bit more than usual, actually," Violet admitted, checking over the internal workings of her weapon. Thankfully, they didn't appear to be damaged, "I'll have to recalibrate a few things…"

Qrow's eyes trailed back over to the carnage that had been left in Zenith's wake, "Oz didn't mention anything about lightning…"

"That's because there usually isn't," Violet replied, transforming her weapon back into its greatsword form. The vents opened as they were supposed to, giving her some relief. Steam rose up out of the weapon into the chilled night air, "I guess this gives me a crowd control option."

"If you don't mind getting thrown on your ass any time you _use_ it."

Violet waved her hand nonchalantly, "That can be fixed with a bit of testing. An additional mode to switch between depending on whether or not I'm using dust cells, simple enough compared to what I've _already_ gone through with this thing."

"Well let's leave that testing until you've made a few changes, alright? I'm not exactly enthusiastic about coughing dirt out of my lungs any more tonight."

"Fair enough," Violet returned Zenith to her back while it cooled off and stuck her hands in her coat pockets, "Lead the way."

Their journey into the Emerald Forest continued deeper. Violet let her mind wander to the necessary fixes she'd have to make on her weapon while they walked. She was more than confident in Qrow's ability to take on anything that could possibly be in the forest so close to Vale. Even if another deathstalker showed up like the one at initiation, Violet wouldn't put it past the elder huntsman to handle it as easily as the smaller grimm before.

"Did you have any more questions about being a maiden?" Qrow asked after a while without finding any more grimm, likely beginning to feel as bored as Violet already was.

"Something like that. You said half of Amber's power was stolen. Does that mean she's still alive? Where is she? Couldn't she teach me better than anyone else?"

Qrow sighed, "Amber's condition is… problematic, at best. Whatever they used to steal her powers left her in a coma. We've got her somewhere safe for the time being, but we don't know how long she's going to last."

"And if she dies…"

"There's no saying where the half she still has will go. It might end up seeking out the portion that was stolen."

Violet nodded, "So, we hunt down the thief, kill them, and get Amber's powers back to her."

"Correction. I, as in not you, do exactly that. Unfortunately, the trail ran cold after the attack. Whoever orchestrated it isn't being obvious about it."

"Qrow," Violet put her hands on her hips and waited for him to stop walking, "Do you really want to risk trying to handle it all on your own? My team has already proven how well we can track people down. We found Roman _twice_."

"How did that go again? The first time you failed to catch him and blew up a few buildings. The second time you failed again and blew up an entire dust shipment."

"Sure, I messed up a bit along the way, but it would have been so much easier with an experienced huntsman like you tagging along. Roman wouldn't stand a chance. The only obstacle left is his little friend that he uses as his ace in the hole."

"Roman Torchwick isn't even close to being on the same level as whoever stole Amber's powers. You don't know what you'd be getting yourself into, kid."

Violet shook her head in exasperation, "I'm nearly as good as _Pyrrha Nikos_ , and that's _without_ using any maiden powers, or," Violet patted the hilt of Zenith where it poked out from above her shoulder, "letting loose. Are you going to tell me that you think _anything_ is going to stand up against what you saw back there?"

"We can't risk it. If you get dropped, we lose our best asset," Qrow's voice had started to grow a little heated in the argument.

"I can handle myself. I'm not going to end up like Amber."

"You _don't_ know that."

"What's the alternative? We wait until someone figures it out? In the meantime, Amber _dies_ and my rival gets even _stronger_ because of it. Do you want Yang or Ruby to get attacked in an ambush? Or would you rather we be the ones doing the ambushing?"

Qrow glared at Violet, likely angry for using his nieces' safety as part of her argument. After a few moments, though, the older huntsman relaxed and eyed Violet, "I don't like it."

"You don't have to _like_ it. We only need to get _results_."

Qrow waited a little longer before replying once more, "Let's pretend that I'm willing to hear you out. What's step one?"

"We use these training sessions as an excuse for the operation. I don't want my team in the crossfire. I already promised myself not to risk their lives again, and I am _not_ going to break that promise."

"I would have to tell Ozpin, at the very least. I won't go behind his back."

"Fine. We get the Headmaster on board, maybe even Glynda if the situation calls for it. We find Roman and press him for information, make him give up his contacts."

"What makes you so sure he'd have any clue? What if they aren't even _in_ Vale still?"

Violet scoffed, raised a hand out to the side, and let loose with a torrent of amethyst crystals that shot outwards across the ground, crashing through the trees and slashing deep furrows through both dirt and stone. In mere moments, a mass of ice fifty feet long and a dozen feet wide cut a path through the forest.

"I wouldn't want to settle for half of _that_. Would you?"

Qrow shook his head wordlessly.

"Neither will our would-be thief. She's holed up in the city _somewhere_. Trust me. Roman can at least supply us with potential targets."

' _A great excuse to get directly to the source. Plus we cut into Roman's involvement in the Breach. What will you do then, Cinder?_ _As worried as Qrow is, Amber will last a long time. We can try and be strategic about this. I guess the real question is, what will_ _ **Salem**_ _do after her pet fails?_ '

Qrow drew himself up, "I can scout for Torchwick throughout the week. You focus on your classes and the team training from Glynda. Whether we catch the half-maiden or not, you'll still need all the time you can get with your team."

"Deal," Violet replied quickly, then paused a moment, "I uhh, do have a _contact_ , though. Jury's out on whether or not I can get him to trust me again, but if I can then it might be faster."

"Who?" Qrow's brow furrowed as he narrowed his eyes at the young huntress.

"Tukson, the bookshop owner. He's a member of the White Fang. But, with a little convincing, I think we can get him to turn."

"I'll check him out," Qrow nodded his approval after a moment of consideration, "Anything else?"

"I have an address for one of Roman's hideouts. I wouldn't put it past him to have changed locations already, so don't get your hopes up too much," Violet pulled out her scroll and messaged the address to Qrow, "Be careful there. I _also_ wouldn't put it past him to have lookouts keeping an eye on the place for any return visitors."

"I'm as careful as they come, kid."

"I believe it," Violet replied unsarcastically. She wasn't about to start doubting his skills now of all times, "That's all I've got. You've already seen the dock footage. His sidekick is no slouch, that's for sure."

"Glass illusions and teleportation. That's a tough combination."

"We should be fine. Best case scenario, I take on the little minx and put her down while you keep Roman preoccupied."

"You're confident you can take her?"

Violet gestured to the towering ice off to their side, "If all else fails, she _permanently_ stops being a problem. I won't risk letting her slip away to try and get revenge later on."

"Only if it comes down to it… You're too young to be taking lives."

"I'll keep that in mind. If it ever comes down to it though, and it's the difference between them or one of my teammates… I won't hesitate."

"I wouldn't want you to," Qrow sighed, turning his head back to face away into the woods, "Let's just… make sure you don't have to, alright? Come on. Time to keep practicing."

Violet nodded and followed him deeper into the Emerald Forest.

It was a few hours later by the time Violet and Qrow returned to the top of the Beacon cliffs, with some mild strategizing between them along the way. Qrow still hadn't revealed his ability to change forms into a bird, and Violet doubted he ever would unless absolutely necessary. She instead trusted him to pull off his half of the operation.

' _Hopefully Blake and the others take my suggestion for a week off and don't get suspicious. As long as Qrow doesn't spill it to Yang or Ruby, we should be fine._ '

Violet was determined to have the issue of Roman Torchwick and Neo Politan resolved within the week, ' _Maybe then I'll be able to relax with my team on the weekend._ ' That would certainly be nice. She still wasn't sure how far she wanted to press Cinder's plans. If Violet threw too heavy of a wrench in, then the half-maiden might end up changing them to the point where they would be unrecognizable. ' _I'd be just as in the dark as everyone else then._ ' That could certainly spell disaster.

Qrow parted ways when they reached the door into the student dorms, heading off towards the staff building instead. Violet climbed the stairs to the hallway that held Vibrant and Siren's dorms, among others, and quietly unlocked the door. Despite it being well past ten at night, Violet wasn't surprised to see Blake still up, reading by the small amount of light that filtered in through the partially open drapes.

"You know, I heard reading in the dark is bad for your eyes," Violet whispered, already changing out of her combat outfit and into her sleepwear.

Blake averted her eyes in embarrassment back to the book that Violet had given her, "That isn't really true for faunus. You humans have weak senses."

Violet nodded her assent as she slipped on her pajamas, "Fair enough. Henna would always read for me in the dark so the light wouldn't keep me up. I always thought that was really sweet of her."

Blake let out a quiet, breathy laugh, "You're usually one of the heaviest sleepers I've ever known. I'm surprised she even bothered."

Violet shrugged as she lay down, pulling the covers up over herself and shuffling her pillow into a more comfortable position, "It's the thought that counts…"

Violet glanced over to see that Blake had returned to reading the book. She felt some anxiety bubbling up in her chest, "How are you... liking it... so far?"

"Hmmmm…" Blake marked her place and turned over to look at Violet, still whispering, "It's interesting, to say the least. I never would have thought of eternity as _boring_ , but the book brings up a lot of good points. All in all, though… It's…"

"It's what?..."

"Sad…" Blake replied quietly, turning back towards the ceiling as she gathered her thoughts, then met Violet's eyes from across the room, "I can't say I approve of all the things this 'God' does. There's a responsibility that comes with that amount of power. I wouldn't think well of any parent that abandoned their children, and if God created all these different worlds… Aren't they like her children?"

"I don't think the two are really all the comparable," Violet frowned, "Is it still abandoning if they're fully capable of taking care of themselves? Does a parent 'abandon' their child by letting them go off to college?"

"I suppose not… But a parent would still check in and make sure their child was doing well… From the sounds of it, this God doesn't look back once she's done with them."

' _That's… true enough, for the most part. It's not like I ever went back to Middle Earth once the adventure was over. Why bother? The story is done. I suppose I could stir up trouble again, but that wouldn't really be fair to the world's inhabitants, now would it?_ '

"What kind of world would you create, if you could?" Violet asked.

Blake carefully stashed the book beneath her pillow for the night and paused in thought, "...I don't know. I think I would have to make sure everyone on Remnant was safe before I could even consider creating something _new_. How could I be happy somewhere else, knowing that my parents might still be in danger?"

"Not even _Ninjas of Love~_?"

Even with the small amount of light filtering through the drapes, Violet could see Blake's cheeks turning red at the remark.

She coughed, refusing to meet her team leader's gaze, "How'd training go?"

Violet laughed at the obvious change in subject, but decided to let her have it, "Easy enough. Turns out Qrow is a more reliable teacher than I thought he'd be. I'll be roasting fields full of grimm in no time."

Blake smiled, "That's good to hear. Make team Vibrant proud."

Violet placed a hand to her chest in a mock bow despite lying down as she was, "It would be my pleasure." A yawn escaped her lips, "...Now, if I recall correctly, you have a date with _Yang_ in the morning. Better get your rest while you can."

Blake sighed and rolled over as well, "You're right. I doubt she's going to take it easy on me... Goodnight, Violet."

"Goodnight, Blake."

It was several minutes later before Violet finally let herself drift off to sleep, but as usual, refused to fall into the soft embrace of dreams. With only a slight tug back towards the waking world, she found herself hovering over her own body, watching her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath.

Violet turned her eyes over to Blake, hovering near the top of the room as she was. The cat faunus had curled herself up beneath her blankets. Every now and then, Violet could see her ears twitch in her sleep, reacting to some part of her dream that the goddess would never see. ' _What am I going to do with you…_ '

Violet shook her head and drifted away, off towards Vale. There would be time to figure that whole mess out…

' _Right now, I need to find wherever Torchwick is hiding… And maybe I'll stop in to ask Jinn a few things…"_


	19. The Plot Thickens

Glynda stood on the opposite side of the desk from Ozpin, listing off reports and details of the tasks that had yet to be completed before the next week began. Classes that required additional funds, mission requests and updates from older teams, and information from other kingdoms.

Ozpin removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to relieve some of the mounting pressure that seemed to stem from that point. Trying to save the world was all well and good, but he did still have a school to run. In that way, Glynda was one of his greatest assets, running the majority of the school that Ozpin simply didn't have the time for.

' _Perhaps paperwork will be the death of me in this lifetime. Salem won't even have the satisfaction of causing my downfall._ '

"Would you like me to stop for now, Professor?" Glynda asked, having paused when she noticed the headmaster's mounting headache.

"No, no, Glynda. Please con-"

The icon on Ozpin's screen flashed, indicating that he should check the elevators. With a momentary glance, he pressed the button and waited, taking a sip of his coffee. Glynda didn't bother to ask who it was, she could see as easily as Ozpin due to the holographic screens. She tucked away the pen she had been using to check off the list and held the clipboard beneath one arm.

The doors of the elevator shifted apart to reveal Qrow leaning against the back wall, taking a swig of his flask. He capped it as they opened fully and stepped inside, placing the flask back into his pants pocket.

"How did the first training session with Miss Regalia go?" Ozpin steepled his fingers and sat back, glad for the brief break from school grievances.

"Well enough," Qrow replied, giving Glynda a brief nod as he stopped next to her in front of Ozpin's desk, "Kid definitely has more potential than a usual maiden, that's for sure."

Ozpin inclined his head, "I agree. The spire of ice at the docks was proof enough. I kept watch for a portion of the training session, but was pulled away by school matters. Is there anything else of note?"

Qrow scratched the back of his head, "The kid made a request, actually. Wants to help hunt down Amber's attacker."

"I hope you didn't accept such a ridiculous notion," Glynda snipped, shifting her arms higher to strike a more stern pose.

"About that… She actually had some good points to make. Her offer is pretty tempting, Oz."

"And what might that be?" Ozpin arched an eyebrow quizzically.

"Violet already has a source that could lead us to Torchwick and the White Fang. She thinks Amber's attacker would have stayed in the city to try and finish the job, and Torchwick might know something."

"If there is anyone that can bring together the most unlikely of allies, it is Salem," Ozpin confirmed, "I would be wrong to suggest a connection isn't possible. Still, it is too early to be risking Miss Regalia for a _chance_ at finding the attacker sooner."

"I think we can pull it off," Qrow stepped forward, edging closer to the table, "The kid's a natural, she just doesn't realize it yet. When she was focused on trying to control the maiden powers, it was difficult for her. The instant she used it without really thinking too hard on it, though, she created a cascade of ice shards twenty times the size."

Glynda took a step closer, edging between Qrow and Ozpin a fraction, "It is still too dangerous!"

"Now, Glynda…" Ozpin held up his hand to gesture for her to calm down, then weaved his fingers together again, "You said Miss Regalia had a contact, Qrow. Did she say who?"

"Faunus by the name of Tucson that owns a bookstore down in Vale. Says he's a member of the White Fang."

"Interesting…" the contact itself didn't strike Ozpin as overly odd or out of place. How the girl had come about realizing this Tucson was a White Fang member in the though was a curiosity, "Did she say how she came about this knowledge?"

Qrow's brow furrowed, likely thinking back to the previous conversation, "No… She also gave me an old address for one of Torchwick's hideouts. Said he could have moved somewhere else by now. I checked on my scroll and saw it's a medium sized cargo building in the warehouse district."

' _How did a young girl from Atlas discover the existence of a White Fang member right beneath our noses, and one of Torchwick's hideouts so quickly? Is there some other entity feeding her information, whether she realizes it or not?_ '

"Do what reconnaissance you can on the information she's already given you. For the time being, I find I must agree with Glynda. It is too dangerous to allow our maiden to traipse around in Vale on secret missions, even if she _is_ in your capable hands."

Qrow seemed ready to interject, so Ozpin raised a hand, "However, if Miss Regalia makes large strides in controlling the maiden's powers, I will reconsider the request. Once we are certain she is capable of defeating the half-maiden, then I believe it is our best chance to save Amber as well."

"You can't be serious, Professor…"

"I am _quite_ serious, Glynda," Ozpin turned a firm eye to his second-in-command, "While Miss Regalia's newfound inclusion within our inner circle is a welcome one, so too would be the recovery of Amber. We cannot win this battle without taking risks."

"She's so young…"

"She is a maiden, Glynda. Miss Regalia will be forced to make choices that many others would never even have to consider. Her life is sure to be a gruelling one, and we do _not_ have the luxury of time."

Glynda turned her head away, appearing to be too frustrated with the conversation to continue. Ozpin could not blame her. It had taken him many life times to come to the conclusion that no _one_ person was worth the _rest_ of the board, not even himself. Besides, with all the events that had taken place so far, Ozpin was beginning to believe that God had a much heavier hand than any of them had yet realized.

' _It begs the question… Is God manipulating all of us in order to make events happen with such frequency? A near indestructible King Taijitu appeared in Forever Fall, with no trail or path pointing towards where it had come from. Was that entire situation manufactured by God to expose Miss Regalia further and push events on to the fast track to where we are now?_ "

What if _allowing_ her inclusion in events would speed up the process and allow them to save Amber that much sooner? Did it even matter what _they_ wanted?

' _And Miss Regalia's weapon is another matter. There are none on Remnant quite like it. Where did she get the idea for it? What was her inspiration? Could God have fed her the pieces of that puzzle so that she would construct such a thing? It is certainly flashy; something I might expect a bored God to enjoy seeing put into action. And its name as well... 'Zenith'... An allusion to God?_ '

Ozpin realized he had been silently pondering the entire situation for a few minutes while his allies patiently waited for his decision. He cleared his throat and returned to his usual demeanor, "That is my answer, Qrow. Help Miss Regalia become a competent maiden, and I will allow the both of you to track down Roman Torchwick, and potentially, Amber's attacker. Once you have, you will let _us_ know," Ozpin pointed to himself and Glynda, "And we will all discuss how best to go about it. While we must _take_ risks, it is foolish to not at least minimize them wherever possible."

Qrow nodded acceptance and took a swig from his flask, "That I can do. Like I said, the kid just needs to stop thinking so hard about _how_ to do it. We'll be ready in no time."

Glynda turned back to regard the other two, and sighed, "Be careful, Qrow. We're counting on you."

"Hey, don't worry about it. This is _me_ we're talking about here," Qrow gave a half salute and headed back for the elevator, leaving Glynda and Ozpin once again alone.

The pair flinched as one of the lightbulbs near the elevator blew out, scattering shards across the floor.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about, Qrow…" Glynda sighed and drew her riding crop, relying on her semblance to clean up the mess that Qrow had inadvertently made.

' _Do not fret too much, Glynda. I believe God is on our side for once…_ '

* * *

Violet carefully dabbled into her omniscience; like dipping the tip of her finger a fraction of an inch into the massive ocean of knowledge that she had long since separated herself from. That miniscule amount was all it took to know Torchwick's exact location. With a swift flicker of land passing by beneath her, she stood in her spiritual form within the confines of yet another large warehouse, unseen to those within.

Roman stood at a table, a newspaper laid out in front of him, and his back to two dozen White Fang that were busy loading large crates that bore the Schnee Dust Company logo across their exterior. It seemed that despite team Vibrant's best efforts, the thief had still managed to swipe a hefty supply of dust over the last few weeks.

The thief was grumbling to himself, reading over the text on the page. Both his and Violet's attention was pulled towards the entrance as a small disturbance arose.

' _Oh no… They got to you first..._ '

The book dealer and White Fang member was beaten and bloodied, being pushed along by two other members that had grabbed him by the forearms to keep him moving. Behind the trio was Neo, parasol across her shoulders and a smug look on her face.

Roman stepped forward a few feet, but chose to wait for the others to cross the remaining distance to him. Tucson was shoved to the ground at his feet, and weakly rose on to his knees, arms trembling from the exertion. Thin lines and cuts criss crossed his exposed flesh, revealing the damage that Neo had already caused.

Roman looked up from the bloody faunus and quirked an eyebrow at Neo, "Is this the one?"

The small multicolored girl smiled delightedly and nodded, leaning down to poke Tucson in the back with the blade at the tip of her parasol. Tucson gasped and shuffled closer to Roman, eager to avoid further pain.

"Well then, it would appear that _you_ are the animal we've been looking for," Roman sneared, using the end of his cane to tip Tucson's head up and look into his eyes, "The girl. Who is she?"

Tucson coughed up blood and spat it onto the ground at Roman's side, defiantly returning his gaze back to the finely dressed thief, "Like I told that _psychopath_... I. Don't. Know."

There was the sharp sound of metal on skull as Roman beat him across the temple with his cane, knocking Tucson on to his side, "And _yet_ when given the _description_ of the girl, you said you had helped her to find one of our meeting places! Now why is that?"

Blood dribbled from Tucson's mouth as he worked his tongue around, finally spitting out a tooth, "...She knew the code…" his voice was barely audible. If not for having some inkling to what he might say, Violet would have missed it.

It appeared Roman in fact, had, as he bent lower with a hand to his ear, "What was that? I couldn't hear you from all the way down in that _grave_ you're digging yourself into. Speak up!"

There was a small growl from Tucson's throat, but it faltered as he turned his head back to Roman, "I said, _she_ _knew_ _the code_."

"Unbelievable!" Roman spun on his heel, throwing his hands into the air, "You're saying some huntress in training managed to come across a phrase as obscure as 'Third Crusade'? Or are you suggesting she stumbled upon it by asking for a book that doesn't even _exist_!?"

"I'm saying she _knew_. So I gave her the card, like I have for _anyone_ that knew the code."

"And did she have anyone with her?"

Tucson opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as Neo excitedly raised a finger to catch Roman's attention. She stepped on top of Tucson on her way to her boss, reaching into her back pocket as she did so. Her hand came forward with a printed off picture which she handed to Roman.

Violet could see it from Roman's side. It was an image from a camera within the shop, depicting Violet and the rest of team Vibrant. Roman's eyes brightened as he looked at them, then handed the image back to Neo.

"Have one of the animals print off some copies and pass them around. I want to know if someone recognizes _any_ of the brats in this photo. _Someone_ had to be an informant. You don't just happen across code phrases like that."

Violet shifted uncomfortably, ' _Not good… Some of these faunus had to have been pulled from Adam's camp… They'll recognize Blake, no doubt about it._ '

Violet's hands were tied at the moment, though. What could she do? Burst the image into flames as she had Jaune's application? Then what? Destroy the original recordings at Tucson's shop so that they couldn't make any more?

' _ **That**_ _wouldn't be suspicious at_ _ **all**_ _,_ ' Violet's internal voice dripped with sarcasm. She shook her phantasmal head, ' _Qrow and I will take care of Roman soon enough. Even if Adam is alerted to Blake's presence, he would have known eventually. We can take him._ '

As Neo left with the photo, Tucson struggled to rise. Roman spared him an eye and tutted, "You aren't off the hook _yet_."

Roman gestured for the two White Fang on guard to help Tucson back to his knees and waited until he was once again facing the bookstore owner before speaking again, "Let's say I allow you to leave this place in… well I was going to say 'one piece', but _that_ ship has sailed," Roman laughed at his own joke, "Regardless, let's say I let you leave _alive_. What would you do then?"

Tucson appeared to have become hazy from lack of blood and repeated blows to the head. His eyes squinted, trying to focus on Roman and the words he spoke, "What would I do…?"

"Precisely! It is up to _me_ to lead you animals since you were _gifted_ to me like regular stock. If I allow you to leave, you are to retain your position at the bookstore. The girl tricked you once, she may attempt to do so again. If that is the case, you are to give her the location of the warehouse on Muller, then _let me know_. Do that, and I'll consider your failure forgiven. Does that sound like a good plan to you?"

Given the chance at life, Tucson numbly nodded his head in agreement, "Muller… got it. Let you know…"

"Excellent!" Roman replied offhandedly, already turning away from the bloody mess of a faunus, "Get him cleaned up and back to his store," Roman snapped at the two White Fang guards, then lowered his voice from its usual exuberant tone into one that was far more series, "Oh, and Tucson? If I hear that you've fled Vale, I'll be sending Neo and a few others to retrieve you. You don't want that now, do you?"

Roman didn't bother to turn around and see Tucson's fervent nod of agreement before the faunus was dragged away by his brethren. Roman's eyes returned to the newspaper in front of him before he was once again interrupted.

"Trouble in paradise, Roman?"

The sultry sweet voice surprised both Violet and Torchwick, as both spun to face Cinder and her cronies. Cinder gave a casual glance down at the tortured faunus as she passed by, then returned her gaze back to Torchwick.

Roman backpedalled half a step, raising his hands, palms upwards. " _You_ forced me to work with these animals, and I must say, Cinder, I am _not_ impressed. I expected at least a _little_ competence, but all I've been given are untrained mutts spreading their fleas and shedding on my carpets."

"Oh, _Roman_ ," Cinder stepped close to the thief and placed her fingers against the underside of his chin, "Are you sure you aren't just failing to _groom_ them? It is a _leader's_ obligation to teach through example… Perhaps I should make an example of you?"

"Th-that isn't necessary," Roman flinched away from Cinder's hand, "We have a team of students hounding after us. They interrupted us at the docks… I thought we were free of them with the explosion," Roman gestured over to the newspaper on the table behind him, "But there's nothing about four corpses matching their description, _or_ missing students."

Cinder allowed her hand to fall away from Roman's face, her eyes glowing slightly, "Is that so?"

The conversation was brought to a halt as the group focused on Neo, skipping back into the throng and holding out a stack of photos to Roman. Violet could see the flash of danger behind Neo's eyes, but by now the girl should know that she wouldn't stand a chance against Cinder. Neo handed one to the half-maiden as well and stepped back, a fake smile plastered across her lips.

Cinder held the photo up in front of herself and stared at the faces shown on it, "Which one of these _children_ has been giving you trouble, Roman?"

Roman leaned forward, craning his neck to look at the photo as well, then pointed out Violet, "That one. She's definitely the ringleader of her little group."

Cinder absentmindedly held the photo out behind herself for Mercury to take, "The one with the purple hair and eyes. Find out what you can about her. We may be able to ease up some of dear Roman's burden. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"I, uh, would definitely appreciate it," Roman replied. Violet could see a small bead of sweat running down his forehead and around the outside edge of his brow, "They've been a complete _thorn_ in my side."

"Rest assured that Mercury is more than capable of taking care of your problem," Cinder turned her eyes to scan across the faunus loading the crates up into a line of trucks, "See to it that the shipment is delivered to Mountain Glenn _unhindered_. We'll have another surprise for you in the coming weeks that should help to boost your number of recruits."

"No issues there. I already have the bullheads fueled and ready to head out. The first shipment should be there in a few hours, along with a group of mutts to speed up repairs."

"Good," Cinder turned away, both Emerald and Mercury stepping aside to allow her to pass. She stopped to look back over her shoulder, "Fail again, and it will be you that Mercury takes care of next. I don't know about you, Roman, but I quite enjoy having your head attached to your body. Don't you?"

Cinder didn't wait for a response, and neither was one forthcoming from the pale thief. Roman tugged on his collar and waited for the sound of the door closing behind the three of them before breathing out a sigh of relief. Neo still stood at his shoulder, looking after the group with a baleful glare of contempt.

"I know, Neo, but what can we do?" Roman shook his head, "We've gotten ourselves into a world of trouble. I know she's going to betray us sooner or later… As soon as our usefulness runs dry, she'll burn us to a crisp."

Neo caught Roman's attention and mimed slitting a throat with her finger, but Roman simply shook his head again.

"We'll have to wait for an opening. The instant we finish whatever she ends up having us do, we break contact. If we aren't of use anymore, then maybe she won't bother sending her goons after us, either."

Based on the pout on Neo's face, Violet could tell that she wasn't particularly excited about the proposition. Without Roman backing her, though, she wouldn't make any moves that might ruin his plans. Violet knew that much. ' _Loyal to a T…_ '

With the conversation dying down and Neo leaving to go about her business, Violet returned to her room in Beacon. She began to pace across the floor in her spectral state.

' _So, now I have Mercury after me, and soon enough, Adam will be after Blake. At the same time, whatever loyalties that Roman may have had are long since burned, or perhaps were never there to begin with… Could I turn him against Cinder? He's afraid of her power, but if I were to display some of my own when we capture him, that might sway him to turn against her. I could ruin Cinder's plans months before their completion…_ '

And Adam and Mercury…?

' _Individually, they aren't truly a threat to us. I can take Mercury, even if it takes a little help from my 'maiden' powers to do so… Better him than me. Adam on the other hand…_ '

Maybe it really _was_ a good idea that she and Blake would be practically attached at the hip for the foreseeable future. Violet didn't see Adam and Mercury cooperating together in order to bring either herself or Blake down, while the two huntresses would _definitely_ be a match for either alone.

' _The sooner we get to Roman, the better. I might have to make a few questionable leaps in logic to help Qrow find him faster than he might otherwise, but it should be worth it in the end._ '

Violet had never considered turning Roman and Neo against Cinder before, but now that she considered it, the potential was there. ' _And if Cinder is forced to replace Roman with one of her henchmen, that means they'll be stretched even thinner. What had Cinder said? 'It's about taking away what power they have'? Two can play at that game._ '

Violet paused in her pacing and sighed, 'There isn't much I can do about it now…' Her eyes roamed across the three other sleeping forms in the room, finally settling on Blake in her top bunk above Yang. Her feet drifted up off the ground as she sought a better look at the cat faunus.

Violet hovered in midair above Blake's bed, looking down on the faunus consideringly. Every now and then, one of Blake's ears twitched in her sleep, and Violet couldn't help but smile. Her eyes drifted back to the other two sleeping forms in the room.

' _What a mess this has turned into, huh? I never expected any of this to have changed so drastically… I was fully expecting to be on a team with Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, and be engaging in friendly competition against team RWBY…_ '

Things would have been easier that way, ' _But I guess JNPR's involvement was mostly minimal at best… Maybe I would have gotten bored…_ ' Violet snorted, reconsidering that train of thought immediately, ' _I doubt any time spent with Nora on your team could be called 'boring'. Still, I would have avoided all this potential drama with Blake…_ '

Violet's eyes scanned the bookshelf, latching on to the book she had given the faunus girl. She drifted back into her body and turned over, reaching across for the book to pull it off the shelf. Violet flipped it open to the bookmark and checked the chapter that Blake would be starting next.

' _Ah, she's up to the part where I created Remnant…'_ Violet hadn't had much of a choice but to skip through the majority of her life and only touch on the finer points _, 'At the rate she's going, she'll be done in a couple of days... Then I'll have my answer._ '

If Blake thought the 'main character' was sympathetic, then Violet was willing to give whatever they had a shot. On the flipside, if Blake considered her irredeemable or abhorrent… ' _It wouldn't be the first time one of my creations cursed my name._ ' Needless to say, Violet would break things off as gently as possible in that case.

' _Blake would still have Yang to fall back on. I never wanted to separate them in the first place..._ '

Violet replaced the bookmark and slid the book back on the shelf where she'd found it, then turned over in her bed and pulled her blanket tight across her shoulders. She breathed out one long breath, letting her body settle into the mattress beneath her.

' _Nothing to do now but wait._ '

Sleep was not to come so easily, though. Violet spent the next few hours rolling around in bed, uncertainty gripping at her heart, and indecision gnawing at her thoughts. After a while, she had to admit the honest truth to herself.

' _I don't know which I would prefer…_ '


	20. 1v1

The dull buzz of Violet's scroll receiving a message stirred her awake, eyes cracking open to see sunlight already filtering into the room. Her hand reached out, feeling for the small device on her bedside table.

"That's probably Blake or Yang. They left to go workout two hours ago," Ruby yawned from the bed above Violet. There was the quiet sound of a page turning and a pencil scratching on paper.

Sure enough, the most recent message was from Yang and included a picture she'd taken of a very exhausted Blake, dressed in a loose fitting tank top and shorts, weakly reaching out and failing to stop the picture from being taken. The caption across the middle read ' _Waiting for her maiden!_ ' in bold lettering with hearts on both sides.

Violet sighed in exasperation and slid out of bed, heading for her dresser to get changed while she shot back a reply to let the two know she was on her way, "What are you up to so early, Little Red?"

"Finishing up that homework from Oobleck," Ruby mumbled. Now out from underneath her bunk, Violet could see that the younger girl was lying on her stomach, both a book and notebook laid out in front of her and pencil in hand.

"You didn't do it last night?" Violet started rifling through her drawers and pulled out her school uniform, noticing that classes would begin in around an hour, "There isn't much time left."

"I know..." Ruby admitted glumly. Her pencil continued to scratch at the paper next to her, "Yang and Blake were kind of… preoccupied, so I didn't want to bother them with questions."

"Well, you can always ask me," Violet smiled as she pulled up her stockings, "What are you stuck on?"

Ruby glanced her way and spun the history book to face Violet, beginning to ramble about a specific event that was giving her issues, and how certain details were missing from the book itself.

Violet listed off some of the missing bits, giving Ruby a better grasp on the topic by the time she'd fully finished dressing, "So, that's why General Havasta used a small battalion of soldiers that hadn't unlocked their auras yet. When your aura is unlocked, you become more noticeable to the Grimm. By using that unit to lead their enemies into Grimm infested territory, he was letting them wear out the enemy before closing in with his regular soldiers."

Ruby's face had turned a shade of green, "That's so messed up... Why would someone use the Grimm like that!?"

Violet shrugged as she opened the door, pausing to look back at Ruby, "It worked, didn't it? Havasta won that battle because of it, and spared the lives of a lot of his own men. History is full of people trying to use the Grimm to their advantage. To them, it's no different than setting a forest on fire to root out an enemy, or blowing up a bridge to protect a retreat."

"Still…" the honest truth didn't seem to sit well with the young reaper.

"I know. The Grimm are vile creatures bent on killing humanity, but… 'The enemy of my enemy is….' at least worth _exploiting_ , in this case," Violet checked the time on her scroll. Five minutes had passed since her first message to Blake and Yang, "I'll be right back if you need any more help. I doubt they brought their school uniforms to the gym so they'll have to shower back here anyway."

"Alright," Ruby was quickly writing in her notebook, "I think that'll be good enough for Professor Oobleck. Thanks, Vi!"

"No problem," Violet gave a little wave and let the door close behind herself, setting off for the gym. Some students were already out and about this early in the morning. With another hour left before classes started, most were on their way to and from the dining hall for breakfast. Violet spotted a few plates stacked high with food, students likely supplying their teammates with much needed sustenance during last minute study sessions to catch up on homework they'd forgotten to do over the weekend.

The trip to the gym was short enough, and in only a few minutes Violet caught sight of her teammates. Yang was standing next to the door with her arms crossed, cheerily talking down to a very exhausted looking Blake that had practically melted into the tiled floor. She stirred when Yang prodded her with a foot, at least managing to sit up before Violet arrived.

"Thought you'd never make it!" Yang exclaimed, giving Violet a wink, "The poor kitty is tuckered out. You're going to have to give her a bit extra today."

"Please, Violet…" Blake groaned from her place on the floor, "It got _so much worse_ after I stopped moving. Every muscle in my body wants to cramp up."

' _I hope she gets a bit more used to it by the time Saturday rolls around… I'd hate to have her nearly incapacitated if Adam suddenly attacks._ '

Violet reached out a hand, smiling down at the faunus. Once Blake had grabbed a hold, Violet pumped her aura's influence into the girl, drawing out as much of her mass as she possibly could. There was a mild strain on Violet's part, ' _I'll definitely need to stay close,_ ' but it was manageable.

Immediate relief crossed Blake's face as she worked with Violet to pull herself to her feet. She bounced on her toes, feeling nearly completely weightless as a broad smile crossed her face, "This. Feels. _Amazing._ "

Violet gave a small bow, "Anything for my favorite faunus."

"What about your favorite blond?" Yang mocked from the sideline, pointedly staring at the two still holding hands.

Violet gave Yang a playful frown, "What?" her head scanned the halls around them, "I don't see Professor Goodwitch anywhere…"

"Hey!" Yang punched Violet on the shoulder and gave her a glare, "I'm better than that old hag!"

"She's _hardly_ an old hag," Violet replied, using her free hand to rub where Yang had hit her. With her aura up, the blow hadn't truly done any damage other than to knock a few percent off, "I mean, have you _seen_ how tight that dress is around her hips?"

"Ewwww," Yang shuddered, "First my uncle, and now Goodwitch? I'm starting to think you have a thing for older people."

Violet scoffed, "No, I'm just observant," Blake stumbled the first few steps as Violet started to lead her along, forcing Yang to follow.

"Is that what perverts call it when they get caught staring?" Yang teased from behind.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask one for yourself," Violet shot back, glancing back over her shoulder to see the grin clearly spreading across Yang's face.

"Thought I just did."

Violet laughed, "Oh please, I'm a _connoisseur_. Perverts are gluttons."

"What's the difference?" Blake interjected between the two.

Violet looked around the immediate hallway and spotted Sky Lark, the L of team CRDL. Violet gestured for the other two to remain silent, then raised her voice to catch the boy's attention, "Hey Skyyy~ we were thinking about having a pillow fight later tonight. You up for a little fun~?"

Sky's eyes went wide and darted up and down each of the three girls, visibly reddening, "Oh, uh- I… uh…"

"Oh, I guess you're busy then? Maybe some other time~" Violet led the trio past and whispered to them the instant they were out of earshot, "Look back in 3… 2… 1…"

The three girls glanced back over their shoulder as one and caught Sky staring after them, his eye line definitely lingering much lower than head level. Violet laughed as Blake turned an embarrassed shade of scarlet and Yang cracked her knuckles with a glare. Sky realized he'd been caught and paled before turning away, moving at a brisk pace to escape the potential ire of the three girls.

Violet wiped a tear from her eye, glad her plan had worked out so flawlessly, " _See?_ Glutton. He wasn't content with staring after just _one_ of us."

Yang calmed down and let her fist unclench once Sky was no longer in sight and turned back to Violet, "You mean you _wouldn't_ have stared? That was a pretty tempting offer, all things considered."

Violet waved a hand in dismissal, "I get an eye full every morning."

"What!?" Yang glared anew, "Ruby better _not_ be included."

"That precious little cinnamon roll?" Violet scoffed, "Not a chance."

Yang breathed out a sigh and relaxed, "Okay. I've heard enough," she raised her hands in defeat, "Let's get back to the room before our lecherous leader finds another person to spy on." She took the lead, walking a dozen or so feet ahead of Blake and Violet. The faunus was still having trouble keeping up. While she technically weighed less, that did little to stop her muscles from locking up, only serving to ease the pain.

Violet noticed how quiet Blake had become, and the slight tinge that still clung to her cheeks. She gave her a small bump with her shoulder, the two still holding hands between them, "I was just messing with Yang. You don't have to worry about me staring."

Blake gave Violet a considering look, then brightened with a coy smile, "You _did_ want to hang around in the bathroom when I was trying to take a shower."

Violet smiled, "Okay, fine. You don't have to worry about me staring at _Yang_. That better?" She held in her laugh at the conflicting expressions that crossed Blake's face, ending with her turning another shade of darker red and nodding acceptance.

' _Little different than your books, eh Blake?_ ' Not for the first time, Violet wondered have far things had gone between her and Adam, ' _No time like the present to ask._ '

"So, have you ever had any flings, Blake? Someone wrapped up in your dark past, perhaps?"

Blake's hand tightened in her grip, the girl reflexively tensing up, but at a glance to their surroundings, her shoulders lowered, "I did… once upon a time. He wasn't what I thought he was, though."

After a few seconds, it appeared like nothing more would be forthcoming. Violet gave her a nudge and made a 'go on' motion with her hand, "Give me the juicy details! I want to know."

Blake's brow knitted together, " _Juicy_ isn't a word I'd ever use to describe him… he was my mentor… Adam ran the White Fang group that I joined... I was right there next to him for a long time, helping with train robberies and burning down shops that wouldn't serve faunus…" Blake gave Violet a sad look, "I regret it… I want you to know that."

Violet smiled kindly, "I don't blame you for any of it, Blake. You never took that next step, and _that's_ what's important; the law be damned. I'll never think less of you for the things you did."

Blake sighed and nestled closer, "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to hear someone say that… I'm always so worried about people finding out… being ostracized from Beacon…"

Violet laughed, "If you go, I go," then shook her head, "That'll never happen though. Ozpin can't afford to lose someone of your caliber, and any _students_ that caught on and tried to make a big deal out of it?... They'd have to deal with me instead."

There was a few moments of silence that passed between them, ending when Violet's eyes drifted up to the bow on top of Blake's head, "You know… I really wish you'd get rid of that thing... Who's left at the school for you to be afraid of? Cardin was never a threat, and he's been turning over a new leaf as of late. Even _Weiss Schnee_ knows, and she's never said _anything_ offensive to you, right?"

The bow twitched in place, Blake's hand drifting up to it, "What if word got out about a cat faunus in Beacon? The White Fang don't take very kindly to deserters, Violet."

Violet snorted, "Are you forgetting who we fought on our last couple outings to Vale? If you were there with Adam that long, then at least one of them would have recognized you, right?"

' _That isn't technically why they know, but it's better for you to be on your guard, Blake. Four eyes are better than two._ '

Blake paled and swore, clenching her free hand into a fist, "You're right… I didn't even think of that with everything else going on. By now, Adam's gotten word about me," she gave Violet a sorrowful look, "I'm sorry. You're all in danger with me here…"

Violet laughed, "As if we weren't _already?_ Don't worry, Blake. I can take on your _ex_. Maiden powers or not, he won't get to you."

"You shouldn't underestimate Adam," Blake warned, shaking her head, "He's one of the strongest people I've ever met."

"And you're currently walking hand in hand with _the_ strongest," Violet reminded her, tightening her grip with a small squeeze.

"I just don't want you getting complacent… Amber would have been strong too, remember?"

"Qrow told me a bit about her. Amber wasn't a _fighter_. She didn't have any battle sense and preferred to throw her powers around as a first _and_ last resort," Violet could still see the doubt on Blake's face, "Point being, I have a much better chance than she ever did. Adam won't know what hit him."

' _Although, by now he's been threatened by Cinder, so he'd have some idea at the very least,_ ' with his personality, Violet didn't think he could be coerced into working with them, ' _And I really wouldn't want him to, anyway…_ '

Blake grew silent as they continued following Yang through the last leg of their journey. Violet had to help her up the stairs, with the faunus wincing the entire way and using Violet as a crutch. Yang shouted encouragement from the top and pumped her fist, offering no real assistance beyond moral support.

Blake stopped to take a breather at the top of the stairs, with only a hundred feet left down the hall to their room. She stretched to release some of the tension and finally signalled for them to continue. Violet resumed her place and helped her for the final stretch. Yang held the door open for them as they crossed the threshold, and Blake unceremoniously collapsed on Yang's bed, incapable of getting up into her own.

"It's alright if you rest there a bit kitty cat, I'll take the first shower while you relax," Yang grinned, grabbing her school outfit and a towel before darting into the bathroom before Blake could offer up any protests.

"You look _tired_ ," Ruby said matter-of-factly, watching as Violet sat down on the bed near Blake's feet, "What did Yang make you do?"

Blake turned her head from where it had been face down in the mattress so that she could speak, "Ruby, I'm sorry you have to hear this from me… but your sister is the God of Darkness incarnate. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she learned how to run people ragged as a slave master in the Schnee Mines."

"It couldn't have been _that_ bad," Violet joked, kneading her hands across Blake's back. The girl groaned from the pressure against her taut muscles.

"You don't know the _half_ of it," Blake replied seriously, "A hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups, a hundred squats, and a ten kilometer run…"

"That doesn't sound so bad…"

"Try it with an extra fifty pounds strapped to each of your arms and legs. And _that_ was just the warm up!"

"I mean…"

"Yeah, I know. Not everyone has your semblance, Vi."

Ruby laughed from up in her bunk, "If you think _that's_ bad, you should have seen the training she put herself through back home. That sounds like a cheat day for Yang."

"I'm telling you she isn't human, Ruby. I think she might be a bear faunus in disguise… or a mammoth."

"Maybe she hides her faunus trait under all that hair, and that's why she's so protective of it," Violet played along, giving Ruby a sly frown, "Are you by chance a hedgehog faunus, Little Red?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

"Hmmmm," Violet shared a glance with Blake, "I think she's hiding something, don't you?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and chose to ignore them, going back to the last bit of her homework that was left. The page was mostly filled, Oobleck's usual requirement for essays being an entire page, with as much of the margins used as possible. She tapped her pen against her chin, "I need a closing statement, Violet… any ideas?"

"Hmmm…" Violet continued to massage out Blake's muscles as the girl laid there, thoroughly enjoying her leader's ministrations. Violet could only guess that she'd learned how to do this in one of her past lives, as the action felt too instinctual.

"How about…. 'In conclusion, while the use of the Grimm can be an effective tactic against your enemies during warfare, it remains a deplorable act that should only be considered as a final resort in desperate times. The dangers posed to both sides are, in most cases, too great a threat to be a viable strategy'."

Ruby furiously scribbled down the words as Violet said them, trying to keep up. Violet repeated a few sections over again until Ruby finally had it down and nodded in satisfaction, "Thanks, Violet!"

"It was my pleasure, Ruby," Violet had finished with Blakes shoulders, upper back, and lower, and was now working her way down past her thighs. With the amount of knotted muscles, Violet couldn't help but wince in empathy, "You weren't kidding about that ten kilometer run, were you?"

It had been a rhetorical question, but Blake still answered anyway, preoccupied with the massage as she was, "No. Yang is-"

The door opened as Yang stepped out, dressed in her school clothes and with a towel on her head as she dried it out even more, "Yang's what?"

"A perfectly capable physical trainer that shouldn't increase my workout in the slightest," Blake answered instantly, eyes widening as she couldn't see Yang from her position on the bed.

"Blake says you're a bear faunus," Ruby confessed with a giggle, stuffing her newly finished paper into her bag along with her book.

Yang smiled and flexed one of her arms, "I can see where she might get that idea. I'd say I'm more of a dragon faunus, though."

"There's no such thing as a _dragon_ faunus," Blake scoffed, sitting up in bed. She gave her body a few experimental movements, rotating her arms and stretching out her legs before standing. Blake winced, still not nearly fully recovered, but gave Violet a smile, "That definitely helped. Where'd you learn how to do that?"

' _Not in another life. Nope. No way._ '

Violet shrugged, "My physical trainers were expensive," she glanced over towards the now open bathroom, "Think you can manage on your own? I can't keep my semblance up from that far away."

Blake bit her lip, glancing at the bathroom as well before grabbing a hold of her bunk to support herself, "Drop it for a second… I'll see how I feel…"

Violet waited for Blake to nod before dropping her semblance. Blake winced, a slight gasp of pain escaping her lips as her full weight came rushing back on to worn out muscles. She wavered, having to rely on her hold to keep herself up at first. Blake took a moment to steady her legs, then took a hesitant step towards the bathroom. Despite some trembling, she managed to get all the way there on her own.

"Can you pass me my uniform and a towel?"

Violet did as she was asked and handed over the items, helping to steady her as she made the last few feet into the bathroom, "Alright. Maybe don't lock the door just in case you need something? I'll make sure nobody walks in on you."

"Thanks Violet," Blake smiled.

Violet left her to it and shut the door behind herself.

Yang pouted, "Guess I'll have to run her a bit harder tomorrow. It was too easy if she can walk on her own already."

Violet shook her head, "You know we do still have combat class _and_ our team exercises later, right? Blake might be better off if she can actually practice with us _properly_ , you know?"

"Pssshh," Yang waved her hand, "She'll be _fiiiine_. Her aura will get her back up to par long before then."

"If not, you'll dial it back a bit?"

"Yesss, Auntie Vi," Yang rolled her eyes.

Violet shuddered, "Nope, it just sounds weird when you say it. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disown you and go back to being just teammates. It's not you, it's me."

"What about me?" Ruby chipped in from above on her bed.

Violet spared her a sweet smile, "You're fine, darling~"

The trio continued their banter for the next ten minutes until Blake finally emerged from the bathroom, having been able to handle herself well enough without help. She immediately asked for Violet to activate her semblance again though, which the leader was more than happy to comply with.

Violet nodded in approval when they left, noticing that Blake had refrained from including her bow as part of her regular attire. Both of her ears twitched on her head with every passing glance, each excited whisper, but with Violet right there at her side, Blake kept her anxiety in check.

With Blake slowing them down slightly, they arrived at Professor Port's class later than most. Violet led her team to the place in a row directly beneath team Cardinal, and gave Cardin a meaningful glance towards Blake once both teams had settled in. Yang shot a glare at Sky in the meantime, causing the boy to pale again and look ready to bolt from his seat.

Cardin frowned down at Blake, taking a moment to notice the disappearance of her bow and the cat ears that had taken their place. Understanding dawned on his face, and he leaned forward.

"Um… Blake?"

Blake flinched and turned around, her expression guarded.

"Nice… um… ears?" he nervously glanced at Violet, and with the flat look she gave him, clearly knew that wasn't enough, "I'm... sorry for what I said about the faunus. It was stupid of me to try and group an entire species into such a narrow-minded viewpoint... Maybe we could talk some time?"

Blake's eyes widened slightly as her ears twitched furiously, "M-Maybe, Cardin. I'll think about it." Blake turned back to face the front of the class, and Cardin leaned back in his chair with a small smile tugging at his lips, proud of himself. Violet gave a nod of approval and scooted closer to Blake.

"He _is_ trying. You have to give him that much, at least."

"How do you _do_ that?" Blake whispered in bewilderment, sparing Violet a glance that was still wide eyed, "My father tried to change how humans looked at the faunus for _years_ before finally stepping down. He could never manage it."

Violet shrugged, "Maybe it helps that another human is the one saying it?"

"That _can't_ be all there is to it," Blake muttered. She stared at her desk in confusion, as if the wood could spontaneously offer up some solution to her problem, "We tried _everything_ to get humans to accept us."

"Well, once we graduate, maybe I'll help you," Violet offered. Her words were said more quietly, as the bell rang and Professor Port took his place at the head of the class. Violet kept her head forward to appear as if she was paying attention, "We could show the White Fang some hope."

"That…" Blake spared a timid smile, "That would be nice. I hope we can do that, Violet."

"You can count on me."

The pair were forced to stop talking as began his lecture, now requiring everyone to jot down notes that he believed to be important. Violet wasn't sure how the time he killed ten beowolves in a single swing would be applicable to their own lessons, but added it to her notebook like most others. The class ended with some assigned homework, a question sheet on the different variety of forest Grimm, and the class was excused.

Oobleck's class passed without a hitch. Ruby was even given perfect marks on her essay and congratulated in front of the class, though Violet suspected that the teacher was under the impression she'd helped more than she actually had, going by the small nod and smile he sent Violet's way.

Violet's own was perfect as always, while Blake and Yang both received passing scores. Oobleck scrutinized them more closely, but appeared to allow their similar subjects this time around. Violet doubted he would do so again, and made a mental note to create some reminder in their dorm to not forget any more of his essay's due dates. Aside from that, Oobleck gave a lecture on the historical use of grimm in battle, using Ruby's essay as a prime example.

Ruby was embarrassed, but proud of herself, and Violet made sure to encourage that as much as possible. She wanted her team to be the best they could be, whether that was in the field or in a classroom. Ruby tried to wave off the compliments, but was certainly pleased with the attention.

Oobleck refrained from assigning another piece of homework at the end of the day, causing the entire class to leave happily for lunch, only a brief intermission before Professor Goodwitch's class. By then, nearly three hours had passed, and Blake was managing much better on her own. ' _Good thing, too. That was really starting to fatigue me…_ ' She was now only reducing the faunus girl's mass by half, enough to keep her on her feet without any strain.

Violet stepped into line behind the rest of her team and let out a deep breath, trying to hide how tired the continued support was really making her. The pair of cat ears atop Blake's head swivelled at the sound though, picking up on her distress.

Blake turned to face Violet, concern etched on her face, "Are you feeling alright?"

Violet gave her the 'okay' sign with her hand, "I've been better, not gonna lie. This is definitely the longest I've kept my semblance up on a person at any one time. Guess we're both training, huh?"

"How does it feel? Do your muscles actually get sore?" Blake tilted her head curiously, looking Violet up and down, "You aren't sweating or anything, I can tell that much."

Violet paused, "It's… hard to explain. It's like having a second set of muscles that can take the weight off things and shuffle it around however I want. They're constantly carrying any weight I've pulled off… When I fire Zenith, they're stuffing that weight down and compressing it into the projectile… They still get _tired_ , but it's sort of an intangible feeling…" Violet shrugged, "Best way I can think of to describe it, honestly."

"I think I get it...?" Blake didn't sound certain of anything, but she played it off well enough as far as Violet was concerned, "Does your semblance get stronger with training, like a regular muscle?"

"It does, yeah. When I first decided on Zenith's base design, I trained my semblance constantly so that I could carry its weight. I can go an entire day with it on and not feel it. People are different from objects, though."

"How so?"

"Your aura is an extension of your soul… People can choose to allow it, but even then, on a subconscious level, they're _wary_ of the connection. You've been fighting back a little bit this whole time, whether you noticed or not."

"Really?" Blake's face frowned in concentration, and Violet could feel the strain on her semblance dip slightly, though the uncertainty still remained.

"It's okay. The only ones that have ever managed to stop fighting back completely were my parents and Henna. I wouldn't expect you to be perfect at it after we've only known each other a month."

"I do trust you though, Violet…" Blake appeared to be frustrated with herself. Her eyes were downcast, refusing to meet Violet's own, and her ears had flattened down across the top of her head, blending in with her black hair so that you might not even see them from a distance.

Violet raised a hand and ran it through Blake's hair between her ears, causing them both to perk up slightly, "It's _fine_. There's a difference between trusting someone and literally _raising_ them from the time they were a baby. I'd be surprised if anyone else ever managed to reach that same level of innate trust. There's nothing wrong with you for not being able to."

"I want to…"

Violet smiled reassuringly, "Then you'll have plenty of time to practice. Whatever you did just now definitely eased up on it. Keep trying that each day and you might pull it off."

Blake seemed happy at the admission and turned back to face the front of the line with a smile. Both Yang and Ruby were chatting with each other as they began selecting food from the buffet they passed. Not too long later, the four of them joined team Siren at their usual table.

"So, did you guys discuss whether or not you wanted to help us next week?" Violet asked, sitting down across from Weiss near the head of the table. The rest of the spots were then filled by Blake, Yang, and Ruby across from the rest of team Siren.

"We did talk about it… Nora voted for helping you, and since Nora would go no matter _what_ the rest of us chose, and Ren would follow her… and neither Pyrrha or I want to let our teammates risk themselves without our help…"

"Ah, _democracy_ …" Violet laughed and flashed Nora an amused smile, "I can see your predicament. Would it help if I said we'd refuse to let Nora tag along if it wasn't what the rest of you wanted?"

"Hey!" Nora crossed her arms.

Weiss and Pyrrha exchanged a meaningful glance before both turned back to Violet with Pyrrha speaking, "It would. We agreed that if you wanted _all_ of us to be in agreement, then we would go with you."

"And if I had just let Nora rule the vote?"

"Then we would have restrained her in our room," Weiss announced matter-of-factly, "Between Pyrrha and myself, I think we could have managed," she eyed Nora sideways who was currently bending a metal spoon in one hand and glaring at them, " _Maybe…_ "

"Welcome aboard!" Yang cheered.

"I'm glad you're coming along," Ruby confessed, giving team Siren a wide smile.

"Your help will be appreciated," Blake nodded her thanks.

"So when do we start?" Weiss asked. Violet could sense a hint of nervousness in the young heiress's voice and held a hand up.

"Not until next week at the earliest. We aren't even talking about our plans until then."

Weiss stopped herself in the middle of a sigh of relief and instead changed it into a curt nod, "That is acceptable. You'll let us know, then?"

"Yup. Running theory is that Torchwick is held up in the warehouse district. Aside from that, we don't know yet and won't be looking into it further."

"I was so ready to shoot down a bullhead, though!" Nora complained from the side, standing up to place her hands on the table and lean closer across it, "Why don't we go _tonight!?_ It'll be fun!"

"No way, Nora. Not after the docks. I'm not risking my team or any of you so soon after that catastrophe."

' _Or at all if Qrow and I can track down Roman. We can put a stop to the Breach early and maybe even catch Cinder..._ '

"That works for me," Weiss folded her arms across her chest, "The preparations for the Vytal Festival start next week, and new students should be arriving. I'd like to have that time to uh, _greet_ them."

"Do you mean spy?" Blake asked with a sly smile.

Weiss's arms tensed defensively, her facing going slightly pink, "D-Don't be ridiculous! As students of Beacon, it is our duty to welcome foreigners to the city for the festival! I-It's tradition!"

Blake smirked, but let it go. The atmosphere calmed down a bit after that as everyone dug into their lunches. Violet spent the time testing how much support Blake still needed, and could feel the girl doing the same through her side of the connection, attempting to ease up on the strain. Violet was glad for the reprieve. By the time the half hour lunch had ended, Blake gave Violet the go ahead to drop her semblance completely.

After a few tentative steps, Blake flashed the rest of her team a smile, "Good as new. Thanks, Violet. That helped get me back into action a _lot_ faster."

"And just in time for combat class," Yang grinned and patted Violet on the back, "What did I tell you?"

"You're the expert," Violet agreed, impressed with how well Yang had scaled Blake's first day to her individual needs.

Yang leaned in to whisper to Violet, still grinning, "It only gets more difficult from here. I hope you're ready~"

They left together as a group for the locker rooms, Violet and Blake next to each other out of habit, if not holding hands as they had earlier in the morning. Violet could feel her semblance slowly but surely recovering from the days strenuous usage, ' _At least my semblance doesn't take as long to regenerate as actual muscles._ '

As much as she enjoyed messing with Yang when it came to working out, this _was_ a good opportunity to increase the strength of her semblance overall. Violet wasn't sure if she'd ever get to the point where some of her weaknesses were nullified, but there couldn't be any harm in _trying_.

As always, the stands that partially encircled the arena floor were dotted with students by the time both Vibrant and Siren arrived. They took up their usual set of benches and sat back, waiting for Goodwitch to announce the first spares. The final group of students filtered into the stands and sat down, talking amongst each other.

"Ahem," Ms. Goodwitch cleared her throat loudly, eyes slowly roaming across those gathered, "Now, as I am sure many of you are aware, the Vytal Tournament will be taking place in Vale this year. As such, I believe it is important that you go into the tournament with a solid idea of who you will be sending on to each round. Today, you will be pairing up with another member of your own team, to spar against the other two. While this will not decide who you send along, I hope it gives you a better idea of your own standing."

Both Ruby and Blake turned to look at Violet and Yang, nodding in agreement before any arguments could even begin.

"There's really no other choice, is there?"

"You guys are the strongest on the team, no doubt about that!"

Violet and Yang turned to look at each other and shrugged, "Best three out of five?" The two of them had already sparred four times in Goodwitch's class, with the results sitting at two to two. While Violet was more skilled overall, and had years of different lives to draw from, Yang's speed and tenacity were simply unmatched.

"I'll take you up on that!" Yang pounded her fists together then leaned in, a hint of doubt on her face, "You aren't going to use any of your… _extra_ abilities, right?"

"I wouldn't exactly be able to use them in front of a stadium full of people, now would I? Violet laughed, "There's going to be thousands of eyes watching us from the stands, let alone everyone tuning into the broadcast."

"Okay, good," Yang raised her hand to get Glynda's attention, "I wanted to make sure you weren't going to pull any tricks."

"Yes, Miss Xiao Long?" Glynda called up from her place on the arena floor, "Do you have a question?"

Yang raised her voice, "We've already decided who we're sending to the doubles round. Can Violet and I fight to figure out who gets into the singles?"

After taking a moment to consider, Ms. Goodwitch's fingers tapped away at the device she held, and soon enough, both Yang and Violet's names and images were plastered across the large screen, "I trust you to know your own team well enough. We may as well get your spar out of the way first. Proceed."

Violet and Yang returned to the locker room shared by all the girls and retrieved their weapons before stepping back out on to the arena floor. Yang held out a hand before they separated. Violet accepted the fist bump with a smile.

"Where do you want me to take you for dinner after you lose?" Violet called out, walking away with the flash of a grin while drawing Zenith from her back. She allowed it to regain its weight as it slammed down against the ground, cracking the floor beneath.

"I know this really nice place on main street that makes a hell of a good burger," Yang smiled back, "Where do you want me to take you?" She pumped Ember Celica in the air, loading a round into place.

"Pizza sounds nice. I'm feeling like… bacon and pepperoni with stuffed crust."

"And the dipping sauce?"

"Why _wouldn't_ you get the sauce? That's what makes it _worth_ getting the stuffed crust in the first place."

"Fair point. Anything else?"

"No, now I just want a pizza. We should get enough for leftovers in the morning."

"Why? The dining hall usually has at least a few slices."

"Yeah, but we didn't even get breakfast this morning."

"Oh yeaaaah, well then, I think-"

" _Would you two just fight already!?_ "

"Sure thing, Miss Goodwitch."

"Whatever you say Glynda... Wait, do you want us to bring you back any-"

Violet was cut off as Yang blasted across the arena floor, spurred into action by the fierce glare sent her way from Ms. Goodwitch. The fight commenced, with Violet heavily on the defensive, struggling to recover from the immediate ground she'd lost.

Violet used Zenith's wide blade to block Yang's blows, knowing that if she tried to return its weight to it, her arms would be too slow to keep up with the brawler's speed. For the time being she waited, allowing Yang to grow more and more frustrated as each blow was swiftly deflected, none managing to slip past her defense. She had also transferred Zenith's weight to her shoes, giving her a stronger footing. It was a technique that Violet had been forced to create specifically for her fights against Yang, as the brawler didn't have the reach to slip past.

Each blow was jarring. Violet was forced to take the brunt of the impacts with only the bare minimum of Zenith's mass left to offset each blow, ' _Better Zenith than me._ ' Violet could see the mounting frustration in Yang's stature. Each subsequent attack became more and more erratic. The team leader waited for Yang's current set of attacks to finish.

' _Now,_ ' Violet spotted the telltale sign of Yang winding back up, her foot sliding backwards, preparing to change stances. Violet swung her greatsword forward, a weak blow, but one that fulfilled its purpose in throwing Yang off balance. The greatsword's path continued as Violet spun in place, giving it a full three hundred and sixty degrees of wind up before forcing its own weight and much of her own into its blade.

Yang threw her arms up the instant before Zenith connected. There was a terrible shriek of metal on metal as the heavy greatsword slashed a deep scratch across the gauntlets. Yang was launched backwards by the force of the blow and sent into a backwards tumble across the ground. The blond managed to gain control over her roll and planted her feet, sliding to a stop while raising her fists back up into a defensive stature.

Violet charged, now the one to go on the attack as she kept outside Yang's range and used fast, sweeping horizontal slashes, denying her an inlet past Violet's guard. Yang dodged what she could, backpedaling from the blade and looking for an opening of her own. The greatsword offered little chances, and the brawler knew she would be punished severely if she failed to get the timing right. Violet's sword could hit like a truck, and was regularly known for ending weaker students in a single blow.

Seeing an opening, Yang backed just outside of Violet's swing and threw an uppercut, blasting Ember Celica simultaneously. The explosion knocked the blade off course, sending it much higher, then down in an arc that planted it into the floor. Violet reduced its weight and tore it free from the ground, but was far too late to block Yang's follow up blast to her chest.

Luckily with her grip tight on the handle, Zenith came with her as Violet was sent flying back across the arena floor. She stabbed downwards and found purchase. Zenith left a long, deep furrow in the ground that stopped Violet just short of the arena's edge.

She wasn't given a moment to recollect, as a series of blasts from Ember Celica streaked her way. Violet rolled to the side, awkwardly forced to dragon Zenith along with her. She brought it up in time to block the next shots, each bursting in a flare of red across the greatsword's wide blade. Yang popped the spent shells from her gauntlets and grabbed two more strips, tossing them into the air so that they would fall into the correct slots with a practiced grace.

' _Sorry Yang, but I didn't agree to not get tricky…_ ' Violet pulled a projectile from her belt and transformed Zenith into its railgun form. Her final lightning dust cell hummed, charging the coils in a flash of electricity that arced between each.

Yang paused, not advancing in worry and confusion. She knew what the railgun was capable of. Her eyes searched Violet's, looking for a hint of frustration or anger that might have spurred this plan of action. Finding none, Yang's expression calmed somewhat, but her shoulders remained tensed, uncertain of what exactly Violet was planning to do.

Violet checked each of their aura levels on the nearby screens, noting that she was down to seventy-three percent while Yang was still in the high eighties. Violet lowered herself and prepared to dash forward, removing the mass from her body as well as Zenith's. There was a large gap of ground to cover, but she could cross it easily enough in only a moment.

Violet had transformed Zenith only half way. The grip still remained in the form of a sword haft, while the blade itself was fully in railgun form. The coils continued to hum, finally reaching peak charge.

Violet used a burst of strength and dashed across the intervening distance, swinging Zenith with the perfect timing to force Yang to block a blow from the side. Both arms raised to that side, dampening the impact as Violet returned all of Zenith's weight to the blade. Yang staggered under the unexpected blow, her mind too caught up with the charging coils to block effectively. Her eyes widened as understanding dawned on her.

A fraction of a second after Violet's weapon made contact, she pulled the trigger.

An explosion rocked the arena, as the floor itself was ripped up in the blast. Yang was caught in the brunt of it, the force lifting her off her feet and sending her flying to the side, hard enough to collide with the bottom wall of the stands outside the arena bounds. Violet was similarly propelled backwards but with less force as the inner workings of Zenith served to lessen the impact on its user.

Violet rolled across the ground and back to her feet before glancing at the aura monitors once again. Yang was down to twenty percent and out of bounds, while Violet was down to fifty, and still in the arena.

Silence prevailed in the stands, until after a dozen seconds passed, the students erupted in surprise and bewilderment. Violet took a bow, then returned Zenith to her back in sword form, allowing it to cool off as the vents expelled steam. She made her way off the stage and over to Yang, who was just then struggling to rise from the floor.

Violet pulled Yang up by her hand and gave her a hug, "Sorry you had to be the first, Yang."

"I didn't think you'd ever _intentionally_ use Zenith that way…"

Violet nodded, "I don't usually since it hits me pretty hard as well," she held out her hand again, extending it for a handshake, "No hard feelings, right?"

Yang knocked Violet's hand away and went in for a hug instead, gripping the other girl tightly, "Of course not you idiot. That was awesome! You had me so worried for a second there."

Violet scoffed, "As if I'd _vaporize_ you. The thought shouldn't have even crossed your mind."

"What exactly _were_ you thinking, Ms. Regalia?" Glynda demanded, angrily striding up to the two of them, "I believe you were strictly forbidden from firing off your weapon in this class."

Violet shook her head, "I _didn't_ fire it off, because the projectile didn't _go_ anywhere. If I don't add any mass to it, the metal just explodes before it ever has a chance to exit the coils."

Ms. Goodwitch looked Yang over, checking for any visible damage, then nodded, "Next time you pull something like that, I'd appreciate some type of warning first. I nearly stopped the fight."

"No need to worry about that," Violet gave Ms. Goodwitch a wink, "This poor maiden is all tapped out on tricks up her sleeve."

Glynda narrowed her eyes but didn't bother to comment before turning back around and pulling the riding crop from her belt. With a quick wave of it, the exploded bits of arena floor drifted through the air, returning to their previous positions. The air suddenly cleared of a fine dust that Violet hadn't even realized was there. She breathed more clearly and put a hand around Yang's shoulders.

"So, about that burger…"

Yang smirked, "That pizza actually sounds really good right about now. I'll take a double since you're paying."

"Awww," Violet hugged her close, "I changed my mind. You _are_ my favorite blond."

The pair returned to the seats next to their team and spent the remainder of the class taking bets on who would win.

' _We still have team tactics after this… Those pizzas will have to wait…_ '


	21. Rosso's

Class continued for another hour and a half, with every team taking their own turns fighting. Pyrrha and Weiss against Ren and Nora was quite a spectacle to behold. While most wouldn't have put it past Pyrrha to win any match up she was a part of, many weren't giving Weiss the respect she deserved. She was no _Pyrrha Nikos_ when it came to raw talent, but Weiss fought with a practiced grace and tenacity that overwhelmed both Nora and Ren. Violet had no doubt that she and Yang would have their work cut out for them if they went head to head with Siren in their doubles round.

Cardin and Russel managed to edge out both Dove and Sky. Cardin himself had improved drastically, only needing that extra push to get his fighting style on the right track. It seemed as if he'd been doing more training with his teammates as well, as they all appeared more competent than they were in weeks past. Violet cheered the loudest at the outcome, more than willing to encourage Cardin's continued growth.

Finally, class was dismissed. Team Siren wished them luck with their team training before heading off back to their own dorms, leaving Vibrant alone with Miss Goodwitch. Violet led them down to the arena floor where Glynda was, finishing up the grades for the last spar.

"So, Glynda. How are we gonna do this?" Violet asked, fingers laced behind her head.

Glynda didn't raise her eyes from the device she held, "It is a rather simple process. I will provide you with a number of opponents in various configurations, and you will decide how best to handle them as a team."

"And when you say 'opponents'...?"

"Atlesian tech training dummies. They are designed with simulations in mind, and as such are built with a far stronger material. They are programmed to sense impacts and deactivate on a well placed strike."

"We're just beating up robots?" Yang slumped, "Do we even _need_ to use teamwork against them? Those things aren't very coordinated."

"A half-baked strategy will always fail if you have not put the time in to improve upon it. The difficulty is in your communication with _each other_ , not with your opponents, Miss Xiao Long," Glynda finished up with the last class's final scores and changed to a different application. With a few quick keystrokes, a series of doors opened up beneath the stage. Half a dozen androids stepped out, colored to fit with Vale's aesthetic instead of Atlas's, though it was easy to tell exactly what they were.

The androids marched their way across to the arena floor and stepped up to take positions along one side. They were each outfitted with lightning dust rifles, guns that fired a small round, enough to give you a shock to know you'd been _hit_ , but not enough to actually damage your aura.

"I trust your team has been thinking of potential combinations to practice. If not I could offer some suggestions," Glynda offered, stepping off to the side of the stage, out of the line of fire.

"We've thought of some!" Ruby chipped in excitedly. She eyed the gathered androids along with Violet, "There's too many for 'Smite', what do you think we should start with?"

Violet looked over the androids and smirked back at Ruby and Blake, "How about 'Ladybug'? Yang and I have already had gotten our warm up in, and it'll let me see how well you two work together."

"Okay!" Ruby moved into position with Blake and began describing the maneuver to her, a mixture of confusion tactics involving Blake setting up clones to focus on and Ruby moving in and out of combat with her speed.

They spent the next two hours running certain strategies through their paces and getting recommendations and tips from Glynda. Violet was happy with their performance for the most part. Her entire team trusted each other, and were quick to forgive any failed attempts. They weren't anywhere near seamless yet, but with a couple weeks of training under their belts, Violet could definitely see the more basic maneuvers being perfected.

"Alright, that's enough for one day," Glynda called out, looking over the four exhausted girls, "Miss Regalia, you still have your training with Qrow later this evening. I suggest you rest up while you can before then."

Violet wiped the sweat off her forehead and nodded. Even reducing Zenith's weight as she did, it still regained it right before contact. Two hours of swinging it around had left her arms feeling numb. Blake was even worse off. She sat panting on the sidelines with Ruby while Violet and Yang ran their combination. It focused heavily on overwhelming an opponent with a series of fast-paced attacks. Violet had her work cut out for her trying to keep up with Yang.

"Okay," Violet breathed out heavily and returned Zenith to her back, "Showers and pizza, my treat… the _pizzas_ , I mean. You can take your own showers," she turned from her team and gave Glynda a raised eyebrow, "Sure you don't want me to pick you up a slice?"

"I will be quite alright, Miss Regalia," Glynda shook her head, "Qrow will message you when he's ready. I believe he's _eager_ to continue making strides in your development."

Violet wasn't sure what to make of that. She assumed Glynda would have known about her request to help track down Roman, ' _Did we get denied?_ ' That was troubling, to say the least. The longer it took for their side mission to begin, the more time Cinder and her cronies would have to prepare, ' _I'll have to 'make strides' in my training, I suppose. It might run a few risks, but that's preferable to risking my team._ '

Violet gave a half salute as Glynda left. The other three were already shuffling off to the locker rooms and their attached showers. Violet joined them, more than ready to rid herself of the sweat that had built up over the course of training. Thankfully, they'd all long since realized it was a good idea to keep a spare change of clothes in their lockers.

Violet wore a simple pink long sleeve shirt and white jeans out of the locker room to find the others similarly dressed in street clothes. Among them, Violet was the only one that still carried her weapon.

"Are you really going to bring that down into Vale?" Yang cocked an eyebrow at the massive greatsword.

"Better safe than sorry. I doubt Amber expected to get attacked, either," Violet shrugged, "It might be better if we all kept them close at hand from now on."

Blake was the first to agree and fetch her own weapon. Violet hardly blamed her with the looming threat of Adam being out there somewhere. Both Ruby and Yang seemed uncomfortable about the proposal, but followed Blake's lead. They returned fully armed, weapons in tow.

Violet nodded her approval and began leading them to where the bullheads were docked. It was still early in the evening, half past five with the sun still far from the Vale horizon. The four boarded and were swiftly transported down, left free to roam the city streets.

"Alright, ladies," Violet spread her hands wide, "We have an hour or so to kill. Where to, Yang?"

Yang and Ruby exchanged glances and a shrug, "Best place in town is Rosso's."

Ruby nodded agreement, "Yeah. Uncle Qrow would bring some home after long trips."

"Rosso's it is, then," Violet gestured for the two girls to lead and fell into place next to Blake. While she was trying to hide it, the faunus's eyes were on a constant pivot. Her ears twitched at each passing car, every loud shout.

Violet bumped into her and spoke quietly, not wanting to put the two sisters on edge the same way Blake already was, "Hey, we'll be alright. If this 'Adam' guy shows up, I'll freeze him in ice a _mile_ thick."

"I think maidens would be more known about if that were possible, Violet," Blake replied tightly. Her eyes continued to roam, but she did spare a glance for her team leader, "It's fine. I've spent a long time looking over my shoulder."

Violet sighed, "If it makes you feel better, then I won't stop you. Just let me know if you see him, alright? I don't need you slipping off because you're worried he'll hurt one of _us_. Your safety is just as important to me, dark past or no dark past. Don't _ever_ think you aren't worth protecting."

Blake skipped a step, eyes moving to stare into Violet's, "I… That's…" the faunus shook her head, exasperated, "You _always_ know what to say."

"Promise me, Blake. Promise me you won't run off like that."

Blake sighed, "I promise I won't _run off_ to protect all of you."

"Because we would chase you down _anyway,_ " Violet nodded, accepting Blake's promise, "Come hell or high water, it's better to stand together."

Violet could see Blake's expression soften. A smile tugged at her lips, her eyes staring into Violet's.

"Oh, _jeez_ ," Yang called out from a little ways ahead, "I didn't know Ruby and I would be _chapperoning!_ "

Violet broke away an extra step from Blake with a small laugh. The faunus's cheeks reddened and her eyes turned to glare at Yang, "That's strike _two_ , Xiao Long. You don't want to know what happens on strike three."

"Oooooh~" Yang held her hands to her face in mock panic, "Ruby! Please protect me from the vicious kitty cat!"

Blake narrowed her eyes in a pretend glower. It was easy enough to tell the difference as her ears didn't flatten as they would when Blake was _actually_ angry. She crossed her arms for good measure, whispering under her breath, "Just you wait, Yang. We'll see how funny it is when _you_ find someone."

Violet gave a quiet laugh and kept her voice down, "I don't think she'd mind, honestly. Yang _has_ no shame."

Blake took Violet's word for it and gave up on her glower with a shake of her head, returning to keeping an eye on their surroundings, if a bit more relaxed than earlier. Every now and then her eyes would fall back on Violet and stay there for a second too long before darting away.

"So, what's Menagerie like? I've heard it's very tropical, but you can't exactly trust Atlas as a source of information when it comes to the faunus," Violet asked, sparring an eye to their surroundings as well. The streets were still rather full with citizens, many of which gave the group of girls a wide berth at the sight of their weapons. The street lights were beginning to come on, washing the shadows out with a dull glow that wasn't quite necessary yet.

"Kuo Kuana is… _nice_ , if you don't mind large crowds. The portion of Menagerie that the faunus settled on is rather tropical, but beyond that, the land is nothing but hard packed desert and dangerous creatures."

"Like the grimm?"

"No. There are hardly any grimm on Menagerie. It's filled with mostly large predators, and a thousand different venomous insects and reptiles that could kill you with a single bite."

' _Was the God of Light dabbling in Destruction? What's up with that?_ ' Violet frowned, ' _I might do something about that before long._ ' She didn't really see any negative in helping to fix up Menagerie and make the rest of it habitable. It would have to be over the course of a few years, perhaps, otherwise 'god's hand' would be visibly at work, but better that than left as it was indefinitely.

"Anything you could keep as a pet?" Violet joked with a smirk.

"When I was little, one of the guards did try raising a dune panther, buuut it turned on him after it reached adulthood. Another three guards died trying to take it down. There's laws about keeping anything in the city as a pet, mostly to keep them away from everyone else. The guard had to get written permission from my father to even _try_ with the panther."

"That's awful. Did your dad get a lot of backlash from it?"

"Some," Blake shrugged, "But everyone knew what he was trying to do. If we could tame the desert then it would let us branch out further and free up space."

"That's too bad. I bet riding around on a dune panther would be fun."

Blake laughed, "Don't let the name fool you. They _resemble_ cats, but they're twice the size of regular panthers and have thick scales instead of fur. They blend in with their environment like chameleons and won't hesitate to attack anything smaller than them."

"... Nevermind then," Violet shivered, "That sounds more like the stuff of nightmares."

"Faunus closer to the frontier use them as warnings to their children when they misbehave. 'If you don't finish your dinner, then a dune panther will see how small you are and have _you_ for dinner instead'."

"That's terrible!" Ruby gasped, having fallen further back with Yang while the two spoke.

Blake smiled, "Did your dad never use the grimm to scare you?"

Yang laughed, "That wouldn't have worked on Ruby. She's always been pretty gung-ho when it came to killing grimm. Besides, after that whole incident in the woods," she gave Violet a meaningful glance, "he thought Ruby would be terrified of them."

"Pfft," Ruby waved her hand limply, "I don't even remember that."

Violet thought back to that tiny scream she'd heard all those years ago, and the way Ruby had shivered, hidden beneath her hood in the cart for the rest of the way home. She let out a sigh, "I'm _glad_ you don't, Ruby."

Yang nodded in agreement, then turned back to face the way they were heading. "Almost there!" she pointed a little ways up the street to the front of a restaurant with a brightly lit neon sign, announcing itself as Rosso's. Each 'O' was a pizza with a single slice starting to get pulled out.

"At least we couldn't have missed it," Blake replied simply.

The group of girls made their way to the diner. The front of the building mainly consisted of one long window, with the door set on the far left. The red brick work was cracked in places, showing its age in comparison to the buildings surrounding it. They stepped into the brightly lit interior, a din of voices washing over them the instant the door opened.

The entranceway was mostly blocked from view, but Violet had seen a few empty tables through the window out front. A waitress stood behind a small podium at the end of the entrance walkway, dressed nicely with a clipboard held against her chest. Violet's eyes narrowed as she caught on to the 'No Faunus Allowed' sign behind her.

The waitress's eyes paused on Blake's ears before she could begin greeting them. She coughed into her hand instead, eyeing the weapons they carried. Violet stretched and left one hand behind her head, near Zenith's hilt.

"Hi, we'd like to get a table," Violet said sweetly, eyes going to the small name tag on her chest, "That won't be a _problem_ , will it Afina?"

"Um…" Afina nervously glanced at Blake again, then scanned the crowd for other employees. She was young, barely a year or two older than any of them, and likely had nothing to do with the sign, "I… I think we're full right now-" at Violet's glare she stammered, "B-But let me go find a m-manager and see what we can do!"

Blake had noticed the sign as well by then, as did Ruby and Yang.

"What the hell!?" Yang stared aghast at the sign, then back to Blake, "I _swear_ they didn't have that the last time we were here, Blake."

Blake shifted uncomfortably, ears flattening on her head, "Maybe we should just leave…?"

"As _if_ ," Violet practically snarled, "We're going to get to the bottom of this.".

The waitress returned with an older man, in his late fifties, brown hair dusted with grey. He looked across the group with a bored expression, eyes pausing on Blake for a few seconds longer than the others. His gaze then settled on Violet at the front.

"I'm sorry, but due to the recent crime spree linked to the White Fang, our restaurant will no longer be serving faunus. If you want, I can recommend another establishment a few streets over that doesn't mind fleas?"

"How _dare_ y-" Yang began, but was cut off as Violet raised a hand. Her fingers trembled for a second, but then relaxed as she maintained her composure.

"Let me get this straight…" Violet's voice was dangerously low, "You're afraid that any faunus you let into your restaurant could be a White Fang member, and in order to avoid that, you're banning _all_ faunus?"

"That's right. The laws allow us to refuse service to anyone we choose. We chose faunus."

"And you're going to stick to that, going so far as to deny four _huntresses?_ The exact people that you would need to _save_ you if your restaurant _was_ attacked by the White Fang?"

The manager frowned, seeming to understand what Violet was implying, "It's your duty to protect the citizens."

Violet scoffed, "It's my duty to protect what I _want_ to protect. There's no law saying that I can't ' _refuse service_ ' either," she stared into the manager's eyes, "The way I see it, you have two choices. Leave your signs up while drawing the ire of the White Fang, and get _no_ protection from _anyone_ at Beacon... or take it _down_ , and you can have _us_ on speed dial."

A hint of uncertainty passed behind the manager's eyes, but he stood firm, "Are you saying you could convince _everyone_ to leave us to the mercy of the White Fang?" his voice was full of doubt.

Violet stepped closer, lowering her hand from where it had been resting near her hilt and grabbed the edge of the wooden podium. Amethyst flames ignited where her hand touched, slowly rippling out and blackening the wood beneath it. Her eyes glared into the manager's, "I can be _very_ persuasive."

The manager and waitress both took a step back, uncertainty shifting to fear. Violet withdrew her hand and extinguished the flames, then purposefully held the same hand out to the manager, "Do we have a _deal?_ "

The manager spent a few moments looking between the burn marks and Violet's outstretched hand before he finally turned around and ripped the sign off the wall. He held out his own hand and shook Violet's roughly, eyeing the scorch marks, "Leave your number on the bill and the sign _stays_ down."

"Of course," Violet smiled, "I _never_ go back on a promise."

The manager gestured for the waitress to lead them to a table, where they were quickly seated next to the window near the front. Violet was forced to lean Zenith up against the side of their booth, since sitting with it on was nearly impossible. The waitress stayed an extra foot away from the table, hands shaking as she held a pen overtop the clipboard.

"W-would you like anything to d-drink?" Afina stammered. Her gaze repeatedly flickered back to Violet's hands, though she tried to hide it.

Violet gave her a sad smile, "You have nothing to worry about, Afina. I know you aren't to blame," Violet turned to the rest of her team, "I'll take some water. What do you guys want?"

The rest of her team shared a glance, but ordered, also looking mildly uncomfortable with the situation. Blake gave Violet a very disapproving stare as she ordered her drink. Once the waitress hurriedly left, three sets of eyes focused on their team leader.

"Not cool, Vi. Not cool."

" _What_ were you thinking?" Blake added on immediately after Yang, voice lowering, "You shouldn't be abusing your power like that. What if someone had seen!?"

"Who could have aside from them?" Violet pointed out, "The entire entryway is blocked off from the _rest_ of the restaurant by that wall."

"They might tell other people!"

Violet waved them off, "Most people will think it was a semblance or some kind of dust manipulation. I didn't exactly go overboard with it."

"You did _more_ than enough," Blake fixed her with a frown, "I appreciate how much you care for faunus, Violet, I really do… but threatening people is going too far."

"Oh come on," Violet looked at each in turn, sensing the disapproval behind their eyes, "That was the only way for him to see reason! The White Fang specifically targets businesses that _don't_ serve faunus. He was making himself a bigger target!"

"Is that _why_ you did it, though?" there was doubt in Blake's voice.

"Well…" Violet shrugged dejectedly, "I couldn't stand the idea of you being upset…"

"I keep telling you _I'm used to it_ , Violet," Blake replied, gently placing a hand on her arm, "You don't have to defend me from everything little thing. Especially if it means hurting other people to do it."

"I wouldn't have _actually_ hurt anyone," Violet balked, eyes widening.

"The waitress didn't seem to think so," Yang muttered, watching as Afina returned with a small tray topped with four drinks. She carefully set the tray down on the table and handed out each glass, preferring to stand closer to Ruby than Violet.

Violet sighed, "Afina," and waited for the girl to meet her eyes, "I'm sorry about my behavior before. Please believe me when I say you have _nothing_ to worry about. I was a little angry because of the sign… but I would never resort to hurting other people. I didn't mean to scare you as much as I did."

Afina kept her eyes locked on Violet's, able to both see and hear the sincerity in her voice. The tension left her shoulders, and her stance shifted into one that was more relaxed, "How did you do that with the flames?"

The other three shot Violet a warning glare, but she simply brushed them off, "Just a semblance. It won't hurt you," Violet held her hand out, palm upward, "Want to see?"

Afina had been holding the tray to her chest like a shield, but at Violet's offer, her curiosity got the better of her. Tentatively, one hand reached out to rest atop Violet's.

Ever so slowly, the amethyst flames lit up, tickling the underside of Afina's hand, but otherwise doing nothing to harm her. Her eyes widened in surprise, "It's… not even _hot_."

Violet allowed them to once again extinguish and smiled, "Of course not. Why would they be?"

"But the podium…"

"Was just a podium, not a person."

Afina gave a small smile, comforted by Violet's attempts to make amends, "... Are you ready to order?"

Violet laughed and glanced about the table, seeing that none of the others had even bothered to open up their menus yet, "I think we'll be a bit longer. Thank you, Afina."

"You're welcome," she gave a small nod to the group, "I'll be back in a few!", then returned to the podium. Once there, Violet could see her brushing a hand over the black mark that marred its surface, the quirk of a smile on her face.

Ruby stared wide-eyed at Violet, "Why didn't you _say_ you could do that? This changes everything!"

' _Because I made it up on the spot?_ ' Violet gave a small frown, "What does that change, exactly?"

"Our team attacks!" Ruby rolled her eyes, "We don't need Blake for 'Cheshire', you can do that with anybody!"

Violet held a hand to her chin in thought, "I guess you're right."

Ruby leaned forward with a sudden intensity and whispered, "Can you set Crescent Rose on fire without burning it?"

For her answer, Violet picked up one of the knives on the table and lit the blade in amethyst flames before handing it to the young reaper, who accepted it carefully. Ruby timidly edged her finger closer to the flames, feeling for any heat, but found none. Violet grabbed a napkin and pushed it closer to her, "Touch the knife to it."

Ruby did so, and the napkin burst into flame. Violet hurriedly put it out and used some of her water to help wipe away the ashes that had been left behind. Yang's and Blake's eyes darted around the nearby tables, but no one seemed to be paying them any mind. The fire had been small, all things considered. The smell of burnt napkin was overwhelmed by the smell of pizza that already permeated the air.

"You can decide what gets affected?" Yang whispered in awe, staring at where the napkin had been previously, "I thought it only worked on grimm?"

"That's all I used it on before," Violet confirmed, "A little training with Qrow helped figure a few more things out."

' _A lie, but I'll work it out with him tonight and no one will know the difference._ '

"Be more careful!" Blake hissed quietly, eyes still scanning those nearby, "Save it for your training with Qrow. There's too many people around us."

"Nobody noticed," Violet chided affectionately, "but," she raised her hands when Blake looked like she wanted to argue further, "You're right. Now isn't the time."

Blake gave a self-satisfied nod then turned to Ruby, "So what's this 'Cheshire' team attack you mentioned? Neither of you brought it up during the class with Glynda."

Ruby leaned across the table, voice low, "It's one of the secret attacks we came up with. You would draw in a group of grimm, then escape with your semblance and Violet would do her 'thing' when they attacked it. Now it doesn't _matter_ who's the bait, though."

"Glad I was consulted on it," Blake replied flatly.

"We were going to wait until after we finished with team tactics and Violet finished with her own training before we brought them up."

"Hey, if Blake doesn't wanna do it, I'm game," Yang offered up, "I'm pretty much on fire when I activate my semblance anyway."

"I didn't say I _wouldn't_ do it," Blake balked quickly.

"Okay ladies," Violet raised her hands between them with a smile, "No fighting over who gets to be set on fire. I'm hot enough for _both_ of you."

Yang grinned while Blake rolled her eyes. Ruby muttered something under her breath. Violet caught the jist of it, 'like having _two_ sisters', and laughed.

Conversation died down for a minute while they each finally took the time to choose out their orders. Violet told them to get whatever they wanted as a reward for training so hard. It didn't take Violet very long to choose out what she wanted for herself. Her mind had already been made up since combat class.

While waiting for the others to finish picking out their orders, Violet couldn't help but notice Afina welcoming in another patron. It was the grey that tipped her off first, as Mercury stepped into view. Violet averted her eyes back to her team while the assassin's gaze roamed across the restaurant.

With a nod of his head to indicate where he wanted to sit, Afina led Mercury over to the booth directly behind team Vibrant's. He sat a foot away from Violet, backs turned towards each other, with only cushions and wood separating them. Zenith rested against the side of the booth between both.

"I'll take a water for now," Mercury stated mildly. Violet could hear him picking up his menu, the laminated pages turning as he looked through it, "I might take a minute to order though."

"Not a problem!" Afina smiled, "I'll be back in a few!" she then stepped a few feet to her right, so that she was now in front of Vibrant's table, "Are you all ready to order yet?"

Violet shared a look with the other three, confirming that they were all ready, then started it off by ordering for herself. Ruby and Yang chipped in next, both requesting meat lover's, while Blake asked for a plain cheese pizza with anchovies. Violet couldn't help but snicker at that, earning herself a light backhand to the shoulder.

Afina left with their orders, leaving the four alone again aside from the new eavesdropper. Thankfully, the others noticed the addition of another person much closer than most and had the sensibility not to talk about secret matters any more.

"I don't think Oobleck is going to let you two get away with slacking again," Violet warned, deciding to change the subject to something school related; a natural topic for huntresses in training, "I'm glad you did so well though, Little Red."

Ruby squirmed under the attention, "I didn't do it all myself."

Violet waved it off, "Ninety percent is close enough. _I_ didn't lose sleep over it."

"Why are you so good at history in the first place, Vi?" Yang asked, slumping her head on her hand, "It's so _boring._ "

' _I could teach you a few things about real boredom,_ ' Violet smiled, "I had good tutors. It's important to understand the mistakes that other people have made so that _you_ don't make the same ones in the future."

"Like what?" Yang scoffed, "It isn't as if I'm going to end up like General Lagune."

Violet decided to take a risk with Mercury sitting behind her, "Ah, but you don't have to be in that _specific_ circumstance to learn the real lesson behind Lagune's story."

Yang frowned, "And what's that?"

"To not fall prey to your own arrogance. Lagune believed his assault was destined for success, and we all know how _that_ panned out. In the end, many of his officers were executed, and Lagune himself will be remembered throughout history as a _failure_."

"Serves him right," Blake glowered darkly, "The things his men did to the faunus they captured… They're lucky they were _only_ executed."

Violet laughed, "Another lesson to take from it. Karma _always_ comes knocking in the end. They would have been better off cutting their losses."

"I guess I see your point," Yang replied, "Doesn't stop it from being boring, though."

Violet conceded with a small smile, "I won't force you to _like_ it. You still need to pass the class."

Yang waved her hand dismissively, "You think I could show my face at home if I failed a class? Dad's a teacher too, you know."

"You've mentioned it," Violet nodded, "What exactly _does_ he teach?"

"Home Ec."

Violet had to stifle a laugh, ' _The T in team STRQ, most badass of all teams to ever graduate Beacon... teaches Home Ec!?_ ' The sisters both caught on to Violet's demeanor from the way her chest twitched and how she held her hand over her mouth.

"Hey, he still kicks butt!" Ruby insisted fiercely, giving Violet a glower.

Violet waved her hand, managing to suppress the laughter that still threatened to bubble out, "No, no. I just wasn't expecting that. He _did_ seem pretty laid back when we called him. I'd like to meet him for real some time."

"I'll set you up with a spar," Yang said flatly, eyes still narrowed, "Bet he could teach you a thing or two."

"No, Yang, really. That's not necessary," Violet smiled apologetically, "I was expecting you to say he was the combat instructor or something."

Ruby expression grew somber, "Dad doesn't like to fight anymore… Not after… _Mom_."

"Say no more," Violet placed a hand overtop the young huntress's, "I get it. I would still _love_ to meet him."

Ruby smiled, "Maybe next Sunday! I bet Dad would like that, too."

Yang looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "I could spare a Sunday to go see the old man. You in, Blake?"

Blake appeared uncertain for a moment, but eventually nodded, "That sounds fun. I've never been to Patch."

"It's a cozy little town," Yang confirmed, "Not much happens there, honestly. We get the occasional grimm or three, but for the most part it's really peaceful. A lot of hunters move there to retire on their own patch of land. It's where the island gets its name, or so I've heard."

"It gets more than the _occasional_ grimm," Ruby corrected, "but with some many retired hunters around, they don't tend to be an issue in town."

"That sounds promising," Violet smiled.

The conversation died out as Afina returned with their orders, both arms carrying two circular trays apiece. She gently lowered them down on to the table and slid them into place, "Can I get you anything else?"

"We should be good, thanks," Yang replied, eyes only on her own pizza that had been stacked high with toppings. It appeared the manager had been more than generous. Blake's order had even come with an extra box, filled to the brim with more sardines and a written apology.

Violet doubted its sincerity, but welcomed it all the same. She continued appearing as nonchalant as possible while they ate, but kept her attention focused as well as she could on Mercury behind her. Afina returned with his water and he once again declined to order, saying that he was having difficulty deciding. Afina offered up a few suggestions, but Mercury turned them all down.

' _Should I be more direct to try and scare him off?_ ' Violet pondered her options as she ate, finally deciding that simply talking to him might spook him. She turned to the side, feet out into the aisle next to Zenith, "The bacon and pepp is pretty good."

"Is it?" Mercury turned to the side as well, "I was thinking about getting the meat lover's, but after seeing your teammates'... That's a bit more than I could handle."

"Nobody to bring leftovers home to?" Violet put on a fake pout, "A guy like you has to have at least a _couple_ girls on his heels."

Mercury laughed, "You offering?"

Violet smiled, "Sorry, someone's already staked their claim."

"Pity," Mercury held his hand out, "Name's Mercury. My team and I are here early for the Vytal Festival. Our grades were good enough so they let us come _here_ instead of taking another boring mission."

"Oh!" Ruby piped up, "Where are you from?"

"Mistral," Mercury replied simply, "It isn't nearly as nice as Vale. Hence why we wanted to get here so soon."

"Makes sense," Yang replied proudly, "I've heard my uncle saying crime is pretty rampant in Mistral."

"He's right about that. There's more thieves and scoundrels than honest businessmen."

' _Takes one to know one,_ ' Violet's scroll buzzed, and she pulled it out of her pocket to check who was messaging her.

" _Meet in ten,_ " Qrow's message was displayed across the screen. Violet pretended to sigh, but was secretly thankful for the excuse to leave.

"Gotta go, ladies. Let's get this packed up," Violet gave Afina a polite wave to get her attention before turning back to Mercury, "It was nice meeting you, Merc. I hope we'll have a longer chat next time."

"Looking forward to it," Mercury smiled to the group before turning back around. He picked his menu back up and muttered to himself, "Maybe I _will_ get the meat lover's…"

Violet requested some take out boxes, which Afina was quick to fetch. They loaded up their food. With Mercury there, Violet made sure to hand her receipt, scroll number included, directly to Afina along with a substantial tip and a promise of repeat business, ' _If only to make sure they're keeping up on their side of the bargain._ '

The girls left with a skip in their step, and Violet with an eye over her shoulder.

"Thanks, Vi. That was _almost_ worth losing."

"Yeah! Thanks Violet!"

"Thank you, Violet."

" _Guys_ ," Violet turned back to them and shook her head, "There's no need for that, seriously. You having a good time was thanks enough."

"Awwww, just what I'd expect out of Auntie Vi."

"Yaaang," Violet rolled her eyes, "You're going to make me regret ever making that stupid joke, aren't you?"

"You _do_ act like a doting parent sometimes," Blake added.

' _Well, you're not too far off in the grand scheme of things,_ ' Violet smirked, "You'd all be _lost_ without me."

"Hey! Give us _some_ credit!"

"Fine, fine," Violet held her hands up, "Without me, you all would have ended up with _Weiss_ on your team instead, and Ruby would be the team leader."

"Like _that_ would ever happen," Ruby scoffed, "I'm two years younger. Why would _I_ be the leader?"

"To match the team name, obviously. You, Weiss, Blake, and Yang would make team RWBY."

Ruby frowned, "The _entire_ team named after me? That's _way_ too much pressure."

"Nah," Violet patted her on the back, "You would have been fine."

"Ruby can hardly lead Zwei on a _walk,_ " Yang laughed, "But I would have still rooted for ya, sis."

"I can't imagine being on a team with Weiss," Blake's eyebrows were knit together in a frown, "That sounds like a literal nightmare."

"I guess we'll never know how it would have gone," Violet sighed, "Instead, we ended up with the best team I could have ever asked for."

"You got that right!" Yang cheered, "We're going to have to train extra hard to make sure you can beat Pyrrha in the final round of the tournament."

"That confident, eh? You never know how strong some of the people from the other schools might be. I wouldn't put it past them to have a few strong contenders as well."

"We'll knock 'em down a peg or two."

"Or three!" Ruby chipped in.

Their conversation continued, all the way from the bullhead to the platform on top of Beacon where Violet excused herself to go meet up with Qrow. Violet found the older huntsman waiting at the edge of the cliff, looking down on the forest beneath as Violet walked up.

"Hungry?"

"Huh?" Qrow turned around to see Violet standing nearby and holding out the pizza box.

"Heard you liked Rosso's, so I thought I'd offer," Violet continued, gesturing for Qrow to take the box off her hands. He complied and popped the top open, pulling out one of the slices before taking a bite.

"So," Qrow chipmunked the bite he had taken, "Good news and bad news. Good news is, you can help me go after Torchwick. Bad news is, it's only _after_ Oz thinks you've improved enough to take care of yourself."

Violet nodded, though her agitation was apparent, "That's fair enough, I guess. Is there some 'standard' set for _when_ that might be? The longer we wait, the closer Amber gets to letting the maiden's power transfer." ' _And the closer our teams get to trying to find Roman for themselves. Delaying a week was all I thought Blake could handle before she would end up fixating on the White Fang again_. _Recruiting Siren definitely helped as well._ '

"I _know_ ," Qrow replied sullenly, "but orders are orders."

"Well, in that case," Violet stepped up to the edge of the cliff and glanced back at Qrow, "Shall we get started?"

Not wanting to waste a moment that could otherwise be spent 'proving herself', Violet fell off into the trees below.

A muttered curse following after.


	22. Are You Not Entertained!?

A few more days had passed, and Violet had managed to avoid allowing her team to go out on the town again. With Mercury snooping around, and Adam remaining an unknown, Violet felt that there was too much risk for not much reward other than spending time with her team. She could do that in Beacon anyway.

It became the norm for her to invite team Siren over, or for Siren to reciprocate. Either way, Violet or Weiss would end up paying to have food delivered depending on whoever happened to be hosting that night. Once they had some food to snack on, they would use the earlier portion of the night to act as one large study group, and help out anyone that was having difficulty with any of the material. Violet may as well have been another Oobleck with how often she answered questions pertaining to history.

Yang and Blake continued their morning routine, while Violet and Blake continued theirs. Yang hadn't been joking when she'd said it would only get worse from then on. Each day, Blake's workout increased, yet each day by the time Combat Class was about to roll around, Violet could safely dispel her semblance. Her own endurance increased, leaving her less fatigued even by the end of the third day.

With Ozpin's denial of Violet's involvement, she had also increased the pace at which she was making 'improvements'. As it stood, Violet was betting on Qrow once again asking for the go ahead after the training session they were about to partake in. Violet sat at the edge of the Beacon cliff, cross-legged and leaning back with her hands in the grass, staring up into the shattered moon above while she waited for Qrow to arrive.

Violet had always enjoyed staring at the moon, no matter what world it was. The large pearlescent orb, sundered by the departure of the God of Darkness in a childish display, watched down upon Remnant from above. Violet had always seen a bit of herself in the moon. Beautiful, but distant. Rarely interacted with by any other than a chosen few. Its presence could bring hope and comfort on a moonlit night, while its absence bred fear in the darkness that took its place.

Violet couldn't help but think back to how she had once been. More than omnipotent, more than omniscient. She had known the exact outcome of every event; past, present, and future. She was there, and always _would_ be there, for everything thing that would ever happen. However, among all that knowledge, there had been one path, one series of events that remained unknown.

It had intrigued her originally, this branching path that presented itself to her. Like a barely audible whisper, her attention had been inevitably drawn to this enigma.

' _What happens if I give up my omniscience?_ '

It had been odd at first, giving up infinite knowledge to become just like any of her creations, but after a while a new sensation had appeared. A sensation that She had never felt before... Excitement. The unknown stirred up the same feelings for her as it did her creations. Until then, She hadn't believed herself capable of even _feeling_ emotions. How would it have been possible, when every outcome was known ahead of time? You couldn't be happy, or sad, or surprised by the _inevitable_.

She had discovered emotions for herself, and after trying to go back to being omniscient… realized for the first time what _boredom_ was. A constant state of being, an infinite string of events, stretching back to the moment of creation and forward until well past the end of time. None of which would provide any of those emotions she craved unless she gave up her omniscience for good.

It had been an easy choice. One that led to where she now sat.

Violet was brought out of her brief reverie by the tell-tale sounds of Qrow making his way through the trees. The sound of a bush against his pant leg, the swish of grass beneath his feet, the metal scraping of a flask being uncapped before he took a drink.

"You know that stuff is bad for your liver, right?" Violet peeked over her shoulder back at the greying huntsman as he stepped past the final few trees into the clearing next to her.

"I hear that often enough from Tai," Qrow snorted, recapping the flask and shoving it in his pocket, "I don't need it from a kid like you."

Violet picked herself up and dusted her hands off, "The truth is the truth no matter who says it, Qrow."

The huntsman grumbled and looked out over the forest, "You ready? You've been making a lot of improvements these last few days. I told Oz to keep an eye out tonight through the cameras so that he could judge for himself. Don't disappoint, alright?"

"Do I ever?" Violet smiled and fell backwards off the cliff. The wind whipped past through her hair and rippled her coat before she activated her semblance. Violet's rapid descent slowed drastically, allowing her to gently come to rest on the ground, eyes skyward to watch Qrow as he followed.

Qrow used his scythe against a tree to slow his fall and land heavily next to her, leaving a deep jagged gash through its bark. He transformed Harbinger back and stowed it away beneath his cloak, "Show me what you're made of, kid. I won't be running interference tonight."

"Fine by me," Violet gave the benefit of her semblance to Qrow as well as she set off in a jog, eyes roaming the forest and Zenith still on her back. They didn't have long to wait before the sound of beowolves howling in the distance was heard, echoing out across the still night air.

Violet led them into a clearing and walked to the center. It was decently sized, nearly a hundred feet across in any direction. Violet did a few stretches and cracked her knuckles, ' _Time to make things a bit more spectacular._ ' She gestured for Qrow to stand nearer. Once he complied, Violet placed her hands against the ground.

Ice streaked out, small fingers of amethyst crystal that surrounded the two of them a dozen feet in every direction. They stopped for a moment at that distance, then erupted upwards at their ends, creating a cage of ice shards, two feet across with gaps between large enough to see through. In this cage, they would be protected from the grimm, while she would still be able to attack within.

Violet could hear the howls of the beowolves closing in, too few by far for the spectacle that she wanted to put on. With a small dip into her omnipotence, the number tripled in size, each beowolf suddenly joined by two more. The pack of nearly fifty closed in, the first few making their entrance into the clearing so that they were clearly visible in the moonlight. Scores of glowing red eyes streaked through the trees, surrounding the two hunters on all sides.

Qrow tensed, seeing the sheer number that had suddenly appeared from out of the woodworks, "There shouldn't be this many beowolves in the Emerald Forest…" his hand drifted down to his lower back, grabbing Harbinger but not yet drawing, "You got this, kid?"

"Easy enough," Violet admired her own work past the safety of their cage. Several of the beowolves she had created were alphas, adding to the perceived threat they posed. She smirked, "Just relax. I'll protect you."

A bloodchilling chorus of howls announced the beowolves' charge, as the sea of black furred grimm sprinted towards them, bearing sharp fangs and flexing large claws. Violet waited until the first of many was about to reach the cage, mere moments from putting its durability to the test, before slamming her hands down against the grass beneath.

From her hands erupted a circle of amethyst flame, a wave that grew in size the further out it went. Like a brilliantly colored tsunami, the inferno crashed over the charging beowolves, expanding out until reaching its apex, towering thirty feet into the sky. The wave receded at the edge of the clearing, ebbing back down until finally disappearing.

The beowolves were left in its wake, bodies still and lifeless, bereft of what little of the God of Darkness's power kept them animated. Aside from them, everything else in the clearing remained untouched, unharmed by the burning inferno that had inhabited the clearing only moments before.

Violet turned a smug smile to Qrow and shrugged, "See?"

Qrow shakily pulled his flask out and took a long swig, recapping it and returning it to his pocket before speaking, "Give a guy a little warning before you pull a stunt like that. I saw my life flash before my eyes…"

Violet waved a hand dismissively, "Oh, don't be a baby. You already knew I could choose what gets harmed by it," she brought her hand up and poked him on the chest affectionately, "You've got nothing to worry about, old man."

Qrow rubbed his chest where Violet had poked him, "There's a difference between knowing, and experiencing firsthand," he eyed the corpses that littered the clearing, "Any other tricks up your sleeve?"

Violet raised a hand and 'concentrated' for only a moment before the ice that surrounded them shattered to pieces, falling to the grass and disappearing in as many moments, "A few."

Qrow gestured for her to continue onward, deeper into the Emerald Forest. Violet took the lead once again, already plotting more encounters of a… believably spectacular level. Over the next few hours, she made a showing of her powers, walking the fine line between what was expected, and what was necessary in order to have her request accepted. Whether it was by calling lightning to strike down from the sky, or skewering grimm on thick shards of ice... death lay in her wake.

* * *

' _The girl is impossibly strong for a maiden…_ ' Raven watched from the trees, well beyond the range of Qrow's perception, but still able to observe the feats being laid bare. Raven had felt her twin's sudden panic, the instantaneous heart-dropping certainty of death, and rushed to the location through her portal. Instead of a fight, she had found a much more imposing danger than she ever would have imagined.

Not a danger to the world at large, but to herself. With the girl directly under Qrow's tutelage, Raven had no doubt that she herself would not be looked favorably upon, and with her daughter being on the same team to boot… ' _Perhaps it's about time I introduced myself to Yang. I wouldn't want her coming to look for me with this girl in tow. The clan would never survive the fallout._ '

Raven lifted off from the tree with a beat of her black wings, a portal shimmering into existence in midair. With a final flap, she vanished through it, leaving a single black feather to drift lightly to the ground below.

* * *

Violet's breath misted in the air as she panted heavily, arm resting against Zenith where she had planted it in the ground to lean on. A field of ice, flames, and craters from lightning lay scattered about the battlefield. Those grimm that had died from a source other than her flames were still in the midst of disintegrating, sending thick trails of black ash spiraling up into the sky.

A king taijitu lay on the ground in front of her, the final victim of her training induced slaughter. Both heads were severed, its black blood coating both the grass around itself and the edges of Zenith's blade. The blood itself hissed, slowly evaporating in the heat of the flames that licked up Zenith's steel. Violet would have to thank Ruby for that idea at some point.

Qrow hung up his scroll and walked back over to her from where he'd watched at the treeline, "Oz wants us to head up to his office. I think he's got good news."

' _He'd better after all that…_ ' Violet breathed out one final heavy sigh and hefted Zenith back out of the ground to return it to her back, relaxing as her semblance once again took hold.

Violet's eyes scanned the carnage that they were about to leave behind, "You know, I hope Oz has someone coming out here to pick up after us. Someone might get suspicious if they stumble across a mountain of dead grimm that aren't disappearing like they should."

"Professor Peach collects them for her research," Qrow replied idly, beginning to lead their long trek back through the forest to the cliffs themselves, "She wanted me to pass along her thanks for all the new subjects, by the way. And that she doesn't have to keep making fake taxidermy grimm parts for Port's trophy collections."

Violet frowned, thinking about the few times she'd seen Peach from a distance. The female fox faunus professor was hardly five foot six, at best, and scrawny to boot, "How did Professor Peach manage to get them out of the forest in the first place?"

"Peach's semblance lets her store nonliving things in a… pocket dimension…? It was very confusing the one time she told me about it. Suffice to say, she can take stuff that isn't alive and make it disappear until she wants to bring it back again somewhere else."

' _Oh no, she's a gamer fanfic character,_ ' Violet laughed but refused to answer Qrow's questioning stare, "So, did you make any progress finding Torchwick on your own time?"

Qrow shrugged, "Not much. I went to that address you gave me, but it was already cleared out like you'd guessed. There was a sentry posted, but he only led me back to a smaller White Fang rallying point. None of them seemed to be in direct contact with Torchwick."

Violet nodded, "Unfortunate, but not unexpected. Tukson, then? He should be able to provide us with another lead."

"He looked pretty roughed up the last time I saw him," Qrow replied, a shred of sympathy in his voice, "Tukson may have been found out."

"If that's the case, he has even less of a reason to stick around, right?" Violet tapped her chin, "How would a one way ticket to Menagerie sound for an abused ex-White Fang member that needed to go into hiding?"

Qrow smirked, "Like a pretty good deal if we could guarantee his safety. I don't know anyone in Menagerie that could take care of him, though."

Violet smiled, " _I_ do. And it just so happens that they owe me a small favor for reconnecting them with their daughter."

Qrow laughed and gave an approving nod, "I was wondering when your teammate would reveal herself. You called up the Chieftain of Menagerie?"

"Blake still had him as a contact in her scroll after all these years. Hard letting go of a parent, but that goes without saying," Violet shrugged, "Ghira has motive to help, too. He isn't exactly fond of the more violent factions of the White Fang…" a thought came to her mind, "And he might be able to put a word in with Sienna Khan about the most recent string of robberies and murders…"

Qrow frowned, "Isn't that the White Fang's M.O.? I doubt she'd care about humans being killed in Vale."

"But other White Fang members being threatened with death, or working _for_ a human? I think she might have a thing or two to say about that. If Amber's attacker really is using Torchwick and the White Fang, we might be able to disrupt them inside as well."

"It takes around a month for a ship to go from Vale to Menagerie, kid. Even if Tukson _does_ agree to go, it won't even matter by then."

Violet smirked, "Stop living in the past, old man. An airship could get to Menagerie in a couple days, at _worst_ ," she reached into her pocket to flash her Lien Account card, "and I'd be _more_ than willing to send him First Class."

" _If_ he agrees to it," Qrow replied, "You don't know how afraid of running away people can be. Someone like Torchwick would've been sure to make it clear that trying to escape would have far worse consequences."

"So we sweeten the pot," Violet argued, "We give him an escort. A huntsman that can keep him safe on the journey, watch his back."

"I don't know any hunters that would be available for a mission like that, kid."

Violet shrugged, "A student team then," she pondered it for a few seconds, "Team Coffee has Velvet on it. That would help keep things going smoothly, I'd think."

"That bunny girl?"

"Rabbit," Violet corrected, "They're a decent enough second year team, even by Beacon standards."

"We'll see what Oz has to say," Qrow replied after a few seconds, "There's no telling whether or not there are faunus in Menagerie that agree with what the White Fang are doing here. If they do, then Tukson and those second years could become a target."

' _Fennec and Corsac would definitely fall into that category,_ ' Violet agreed silently, "They can handle themselves well enough, but I get where you're coming from. Do you know if the faunus on Menagerie would be accepting of humans going there?"

"Beacon students, with a faunus on their team to vouch for them? They should be fine," Qrow confirmed easily, "Aside from a few, I've heard the faunus there aren't nearly as radical since they aren't dealing with humans every day."

"I'd like to go there myself some time. Blake's parents were nice enough, and I bet they'd love to have her back, even if it was only for a few days."

"Meeting your girlfriend's parents so soon?" Qrow gave a knowing smirk, "Next thing you know, you'll be taking her home to meet your parents in Atlas too."

Violet frowned, "How'd you know about that?"

"It's my job to protect you, kid. Doesn't matter if you know I'm there or not. You look good together. I'll say that much."

"Well, she isn't my girlfriend yet."

"What's stopping you?"

' _Blake has been too busy doing her workouts with Yang, classes, and team tactics to finish the book the whole way through, that's what…_ ' Violet shrugged, "I don't know if it's meant to be."

Qrow laughed, "You're going to have a rough time if you spend your whole life waiting for 'Ms. Perfect'. Trust me, nobody gets along completely with anyone else. There's always going to be petty differences. That's what relationships are, though. You work through them to better each other."

"This, coming from the resident loner~" Violet teased with a smirk.

"Hey, just 'cause I haven't been in a long term one myself doesn't mean I haven't seen what went wrong in other's," Qrow scowled back.

"Would be an awkward four years if it didn't work out," Violet mumbled, still loud enough for Qrow to hear.

"Better to regret trying than to always wonder what could have been…" the way Qrow said it clued Violet in to his own regret.

' _Did he have a crush on Summer?_ ' Violet didn't see why that couldn't have been the case. They'd spent years together, and with Tai and Raven getting together, it would have left the two other members of the team in a position to try things out for themselves. ' _Maybe she never reciprocated. Summer was pretty quick to swipe up Tai after Raven left…_ '

"I'll keep that in mind, Qrow," Violet replied simply, " _Always wondering what could have been' is a long time, in my case._ '

With the cliff approaching, the two of them quieted down while they took the narrow path back up, eventually breathing out a sigh of relief at the top. It was a long back and forth trek across the paths that had been cut into the cliffside, more dangerous for a civilian than a huntress in training, impossible for a grimm.

The two set off across campus to the base of the CCT. Qrow was well known enough that the guards didn't bother them as they entered, allowing the two to go directly to the elevators. Before Qrow even had a chance to flash his identification, the elevator's systems pinged.

"Restricted Floor, Headmaster's Office."

Violet felt the elevator shift beneath them, carrying them up the length of the enormous tower to the top where the wizard's office resided. With another chime that announced their arrival, the doors dinged open, revealing both the Headmaster and Glynda already in the room.

Violet gave a polite nod of her head, "Professor Ozpin, Miss Goodwitch."

"Miss Regalia," Ozpin nodded back with a tilt of his head, hands steepled in front of himself while he sat upright in his chair, "Thank you for coming to see me."

"Of course," she flashed a smile and sat across from him, relaxing in the chair provided while Qrow and Glynda both remained standing.

"Do you know why I asked you here today?"

Violet shrugged, "I was hoping it was because of my request to help hunt down Roman Torchwick. I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"You are indeed correct," Ozpin smiled, "I had another question that I wanted to ask you, but we may as well get the business with Torchwick out of the way first. I am approving the mission you desired. Your display in the Emerald Forest tonight was more than enough to sway my opinion to the positive."

"Glad I could give you a little entertainment," Violet laughed, "So, what did you want to ask?"

Violet could feel the air in the room still as both Qrow and Glynda seemed to hold their breaths. Ozpin's eyes became more intense, his body leaning ever so slightly forward despite his best efforts to appear relaxed, his eyes narrowed minutely.

Ozpin smiled, offsetting the mood, "How did you come up with such a miraculous design for your weapon?"

Violet made a small "Hmm" sound and sat forward, allowing her eyes to grow distant as if thinking back on the early days of Zenith's conception, "Well, I wanted something that would work well with my semblance. I thought, 'If I can shoot something with that much mass, then it can do a ton of damage'. You following?"

"I believe so. A larger projectile could potentially do more harm to its intended target."

"Right. The problem was the speed. With a heavy projectile condensed down into a smaller object, I would need a firing system capable of getting it up to a respectable speed, otherwise it didn't _matter_ how much it weighed."

"And?"

' _And now for the confusion._ '

Violet mimicked back his own word, a confused look on her own face, "And...? I made Zenith. Not much more to say beyond that."

Ozpin shared a frown between the other two adults in the room, confusion palpable, "What inspired you to use magnets in such a way?"

Violet explained the mechanics behind how her weapon worked. The interlocking magnetic fields, the perfectly timed pulse that went into actually firing a projectile from it, and the systems in place to protect herself from its backlash.

Ozpin's confusion had only grown after all of the scientific jargon was used, and shook his head, "Miss Regalia, my question is more geared towards how you _learned_ all this, not how it all works."

Violet opened her mouth to speak, then paused for dramatic effect, allowing her face to form into a frown, her eyes to awkwardly move around as if looking for an answer in her own headspace, "I… I just… know…" Violet gave an uncomfortable shrug, faking a nervous laugh, "It's all pretty basic… isn't it?"

Ozpin's eyes peered into Violet's soul, attempting to cypher out the answer he was searching for. With a sigh, he leaned back in his chair, "I suppose it is, Miss Regalia. Thank you for your time here tonight. Qrow can speak with you tomorrow and the pair of you can work together to bring down Roman Torchwick. I wish you the best of luck."

"Th-thanks, Professor," Violet kept up the confused act as she stood, then patted Qrow on the shoulder, "See you tomorrow, old man."

"See you tomorrow, kid," Qrow nodded as she left, the three teachers watching her right up until the moment the doors closed.

Violet kept her expression neutral, knowing of Ozpin's cameras set up in the elevator itself. She took off Zenith and held it in front of herself, looking it over for good measure. A single, clear message being repeated for all to see.

' _Violet Regalia doesn't know how she came up with the designs for her own weapon._ '

Violet had known the instant Ozpin asked where the question had been leading. He believed that the 'goddess' was influencing her life towards her own ends, wanting to be entertained. ' _What's more flashy than a huge sword that makes even bigger holes in things?_ ' With this reaffirmation, she was sure Ozpin wouldn't question her again. Violet had full confidence in her own ability to lie and manipulate, though she tried to refrain from it as much as possible.

The wizard didn't stand a chance, in retrospect.

* * *

"That was confirmation enough for me," Ozpin sighed, glancing to the other two still in the room, "God is manipulating events for her own gain. It is quite worrying, to say the least."

"Isn't that a good thing, though?" Qrow asked with a frown of his own, "That means she's on _our_ side."

"Make no mistake, Qrow. I do not believe that the road ahead will be easy, despite Miss Regalia's powers. If anything, that only raises my fears to a greater extent. God wished to be _entertained_ , and what is a story without drama? I am accepting your request for _the two of you_ to hunt down Torchwick, because it will help to keep _her team_ out of harm's way."

Qrow shook slightly and raised a hand to his face, covering his eyes as he sighed, "If God tries to take away _my_ family…"

"Then there is nothing we can do about it… I have witnessed the powers of the Gods of Remnant _first hand_ , Qrow. Anything greater than them is a force that cannot be denied its wishes. We are at the mercy of whatever story God is about to weave."

Ozpin turned to stare out the window, down across the city of Vale that lay below, ' _We can only hope that it is a story of overcoming the odds, and not a tragedy…_ '


	23. Lessons Forgotten

With their team training all but wrapped up for the day, Violet sent a short message to Qrow, letting him know that she was available as soon as he was ready for 'training'. Blake and Yang were in the middle of practicing 'Bumblebee', and after five days of strength training, Blake was on track to succeeding with the maneuver.

Violet and Ruby watched from the sightlines, having just finished practicing a dry fire exercise of 'Smite'. The maneuver itself required both individuals to be on the same track, and Violet's communication skills were really being put to the test. The two needed to be in perfect sync for the shot to be on target. It was difficult, to say the least. Add on top the concentration required for her semblance, and the oddity of suddenly moving faster than the speed of sound, Violet was having just as much trouble as Ruby.

"What if there are multiple targets?" Ruby asked, sitting with her legs crossed and Crescent Rose in her lap.

"Try to position us so that they're lined up as well as you can," Violet looked up from her scroll after reading Qrow's message, "and make sure that nobody we want to stay alive is on the other side. Your semblance must augment your senses somehow. I can't keep up at those speeds, so I'm _really_ depending on you to guide me."

Ruby squirmed, "That's a lot of pressure…"

"You can handle it," Violet laughed and clapped the younger girl on the shoulder, "I trust you, Little Red."

"I wish I trusted _myself_ …" Ruby picked at the lace on her skirt, "What if I mess up?"

"You won't," Violet replied simply, giving Ruby a confident smile.

Ruby seemed to cheer up somewhat, hands stilling on her skirt and instead moving to idly caress Crescent Rose. Her eyes moved to watch Blake and Yang finishing their last attempt.

Blake fired off Gambol Shroud as she threw it, aiming it perfectly into Yang's path as she ran perpendicular to the ribbon-bound weapon's wide arc. Yang caught it deftly in one hand, then used the recoil on her shotgun gauntlets to increase her speed. Blake's muscles went taut as she strained, using the added momentum to swing Yang along that wide arc. With a grunt of exertion, she completed the arc, sending Yang hurtling towards their target.

The blond bombshell blasted her gauntlet into the android's chest, sending it tumbling back from the combined force of her entire body behind the punch. It clanged across the arena floor, shattering the tile with pieces of broken metal and flew off the side of the stage to crash into the wall, leaving a plume of dust in its wake. Yang stopped in place after the attack and placed her hands on her knees, bending over to breath heavily. She turned back around long enough to give Blake a smile and a thumbs up.

Violet and Ruby cheered them on loudly, earning themselves both tired smiles. Violet hopped up and got within range to activate her semblance on both. Yang and Blake gave her an appreciative nod and straightened, wiping the sweat of their brows.

"Really great work you two. I think that's the hardest any of us has hit one of them. Glad to see the attack is as effective as it is!"

Blake coiled Gambol Shroud's ribbon back up and stowed it, "That went well. Guess we can skip tomorrow's morning training, eh Yang?"

Yang shook her head with a smile, "It could be better. Another couple weeks and we'll be hitting that android harder than Zenith ever could."

Violet laughed, but shared an apologetic smirk with Blake, "You heard the boss, Blake. It _is_ a strong attack. I want both of you to get it down perfectly."

Blake sighed, "Nothing but the best from team Vibrant, huh?"

"You betcha!" Ruby cheered as she walked up. Yang raised an arm and cheered with her, if with a bit more fatigue mixed in.

"Well done today, all of you," Miss Goodwitch said in genuine praise from off to the side, "I believe we can call it there. Qrow wants to get your training in earlier than usual today, doesn't he Miss Regalia?"

Violet shook her scroll in the air, "Yep. We've got a few extra things to try and get down," she gave a tired smile to her team, "I'll see you guys later if anyone is still awake by then. Don't stay up too late, though. We have the test from Oobleck tomorrow."

Ruby gave her a concerned frown, "You need your rest too, Violet. Don't let Qrow keep you out too late."

Violet waved a hand dismissively, "I could ace one of Oobleck's tests in my _sleep_. I'll be fine. You can bet on that," she re-read the message, "I have about thirty minutes before I need to head out. What say we go back to the room until then?"

"Sounds good to me," Yang agreed. The other two nodded, ready to head out. Violet thanked Glynda for her time and led her team out into the halls, headed back for their room.

"What are you going to practice tonight?" Ruby asked curiously, holding her hands behind her back and half skipping to Violet's right.

"Well, I can use fire and ice, but also wind and lightning. I've been working on getting my lightning use up to par, it's just really hard to control sometimes."

"Lightning?" Blake tilted her head, ears perking up, "Does that mean you could power Zenith without dust cells?"

"Yup," Violet grinned, then tugged at the top collar of her shirt, "It is… kind of _extra_ , though, if you catch my drift. I don't think I'll use it unless the situation _really_ demands it."

"As if Zenith wasn't extra enough already," Yang scoffed, "I don't even _want_ to know what kind of havoc would make _you_ of all people want to show a little restraint."

"Hey! I restrain myself all the time!"

Yang smirked, purposefully taking Violet's words out of context, " _Kinky~_ " she gave Blake a meaningful glance, "Looks like you'll have your hands _full_ with this one, Blakey."

"That's-!" Violet cut herself off and folded her arms across her chest, "You know what I meant, Xiao Long."

"Uh oh~" Yang laughed, "I think the maiden doth protest too much."

Blake rolled her eyes, some color dusting her cheeks a light red, "Don't be ridiculous, Yang. Keep this up and I'll post your browser history on the library bulletin board."

Yang let out a short laugh, "Hah! I know how to clear it."

"Yeah?" Violet grinned, "Have a lot of experience with it, do you?"

Yang held her hands up, "All I'm saying is I lived with a single dad for most of my life, and I couldn't trust him not to stumble on to it by accident."

It was Violet's turned to let out a short laugh, "You think he didn't know how after sharing a computer with his two daughters? He was probably thinking the same about _you_."

Yang paused in the hallway, eyes going wide as she grimaced, "Eewwww…."

Ruby held her face in both hands, refusing to look at any of them, "Please… Let's talk about _anything_ else."

Violet giggled, "Blake might count to three, but _my_ timer starts and ends at _one_ , Yang. I bet there's _tons_ of things like that you haven't thought about. Maybe consider _that_ the next time you feel like teasing us."

Yang gave a fervent nod, "Message received, loud and clear."

The conversation shifted to Oobleck's upcoming test, much to Ruby's approval, as they finally made their way back to the dorm room. Ruby and Yang went straight to their desks, wanting to get some more studying in, while Blake hopped up into her own bed and pulled out the book Violet had given her.

Violet paused on her way into the shower, seeing how close Blake was to being done, "How, uh… How long do you think that'll take?"

Blake smiled and showed off the small amount left, "I'm almost to the last chapter. I've really enjoyed it so far!"

"R-really?" Violet felt her nervousness lighten somewhat, then reminded herself that you could enjoy a tragedy just as easily as you could an action packed adventure, "When you're done, we'll talk about it, yeah? I want to know what you think about the main character."

"The Goddess?" Blake's mouth shifted to speak and Violet held a hand up.

' _I… I'm not ready to hear it yet..._ ' Violet lowered her hand when it was clear that Blake had gotten the message, "After you get the whole way through. It's important to the story."

' _The last chapter is the creation of Remnant. Her true feelings might come out once the book feels more 'real' to her. I'd rather hear what she has to say after that…_ '

Blake nodded, seeming to understand. She was an avid reader, after all, ' _It might sound like there's a twist coming. Not far off, all things considered._ '

Violet hurried into the bathroom and got through her shower quickly. Blake could read fast, and it was only fifteen or so pages in the last chapter. She wanted to get out of there and save their talk until after the night's mission. Violet changed right back into her combat outfit after giving it a quick once over with her 'godly' powers. ' _Wasting omnipotence on dry cleaning. Ozpin would have an aneurism._ '

The rest of her team were just as she left them by the time she returned to their living space. Yang jumped up and headed in for the next shower. Violet took a minute to point out a few key points that Ruby should study, as they would likely be on the test, before heading out.

"Don't stay up too late," Violet gave Ruby a serious stare to get her point across, "Being rested is just as important for a test as knowing the material."

"Yes, Auntie Vi," Ruby smirked and bent back down to her paper, thoroughly rereading her notes.

"Stay safe," Blake called out with a smile. Violet returned it, along with a wave as the door closed behind her. The sight of the book in her hands sent another wave of nervousness coursing through her chest.

She leaned back against the door gently and breathed out a sigh, ' _Alright. Focus. Time to follow through on my promise to keep them safe._ ' Her mind flashed through all the people she had lost in previous lives, then settled on the faces of those she cared for in _this_ life. Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ren, Nora, Weiss, Pyrrha, Qrow, Tai… the list continued.

' _Never again. I'm done letting Fate get its way._ '

* * *

" _You ready, kid?_ " Qrow's static ladened voice crackled through Violet's earpiece as she leaned against a corner nearby Tukson's book trade. Night had fallen upon the city of Vale, and while the streetlights were in full effect, they left deep pockets of darkness in which to hide. From her vantage, Violet could see the lights in Tukson's store dimming, the glass itself being shaded as the faunus book seller closed up shop for the evening.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Violet confirmed, starting to slink through the shadows towards the front of the store. The plan was for her to distract, while Qrow broke in through the rear entrance. Once inside, he would immobilize and silence Tukson, then allow Violet in if necessary.

Violet's eyes scanned the nearby rooftops and alleyways as well, annoyed, not for the first time that she hadn't chosen to be a faunus, ' _Night vision would come in really handy right about now._ ' Seeing nothing, she continued up to the front door. With one deep breath, Violet knocked loudly, announcing her presence.

"Distraction started," Violet turned away slightly to say it, enough to hide her mouth incase Tukson could read lips, ' _At least he doesn't have extra ears. Qrow would have had a tough time sneaking up on him in that case._ ' Violet had seen for herself just how exceptional Blake's senses were.

The window's undimmed, revealing the silhouette of Tukson as he peeked through the window, "Who's there?"

"Hey, Mister Tukson… sir. I didn't manage to make it to the last rally. Do you know where the next one is being held?"

There was a pause before Tukson's voice came through the door, muddled by the glass between them, "Eight twenty-five, Muller Street, in the warehouse district. The next meeting is tomorrow night… You'd better show up this time…"

"Oh, I will! If you aren't too busy, I had a few more questions, though."

"Shop's closed…"

"I get that, but it's just a few questions. Please, sir?"

"Sorry, you'll have to come back during busi-"

There was a strangled cry, followed by the sound of struggling for a few moments before the door's lock clicked, handle swinging open to reveal Qrow with his foot pushed down on Tukson's arms to hold them against his back.

Violet smiled, "Excellent. You're one of the first doormen I've seen in Vale," she strode in past Qrow, careful not to step on Tukson as well.

"Tips are mandatory," Qrow snarked back, then bent down to grab Tukson by the wrists and drag him up onto his feet, "But I'll settle for some answers instead."

"Please, I don't know anything," Tukson trembled in Qrow's overpowering grasp, muscles flexing but incapable of budging the huntsman's hold by even an inch.

"Sure you do," Violet replied evenly, "That address you gave me was a fake, going off how beat up you are. What? Roman set up some nasty surprise for us there?"

"N-No, no surprises. That's where they are!"

Qrow tightened his grasp, causing Tukson to go up on his tiptoes to avoid the pain in his shoulders, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, pal. Take your pick. Either way, we're leaving with the information we want."

' _Good job, Qrow. Play the bad cop. The nice, naive young lady will offer him the bone._ '

"We don't want to hurt you, Tukson," Violet sighed and stopped in place, turning abruptly to face him with concern etched on her face, "I'm sorry I tricked you the first time, but the person we're after means serious business. You don't want the White Fang being run by a _human_ , do you?"

Tukson spit on the ground, "Course not. Snotty bastard thinks he's all that, treating us faunus like trash. But they keep doin' what he says!"

Violet shook her head, "A shame, really," she held a hand to her chest in a gesture of sympathy, "I _care_ about the faunus, Tukson. I defend your people at every turn. Torchwick will lead you all astray. He _doesn't_ care whether or not you die. Does he even know the names of those that died at the docks?"

"Doesn't remember any of our names, no matter how much he's reminded. Just calls us all Perri, or mutt, or animals," Tukson sneered, "But are you really any better? Humans, the both of ya," he sniffed at the air and made a face as if their scents were offensive.

"We're better than Torchwick, at the very least," Violet countered, then struck a relaxed pose in front of the faunus, "and I'm willing to _prove_ that to you, Tukson. In exchange for information, you'll be getting an all expense paid trip to Menagerie. _With_ a Beacon team to guard you."

"Ha!" Tukson laughed in her face, "And go straight into the snake's den, a traitor!? They'd gut me alive."

Violet smirked, "I don't think Ghira Belladonna is the type," then waited for the look of recognition, "Yes, Tukson. _That_ Ghira. Do you want to talk to him?" Violet pulled out her scroll, Ghira's contact page already pulled up.

At a short nod, Violet hit the call button and waited. She had already discussed the plan earlier that day during lunch with the Menagerie Chieftain. After only a few seconds, the call went through, and Ghira's face appeared on screen to the bewilderment of Tukson.

"Nice to meet you, Tukson. I can vouch for this young lady's intentions. Please give them your trust."

"Uh… um…" Tukson appeared lost for words for a few seconds before he finally managed to pull himself together, "Are you sure, sir? These… humans?"

"I'm quite certain, Tukson. They've informed me of the situation, and I'm currently trying to get a hold of Sienna. There's no way she knows about Roman Torchwick leading the Vale faction. Having you by my side would go a long way in convincing her of the truth of the matter."

"Y-Yes, sir. I'll… be there as soon as I can."

"Good man. I'll have my wife prepare a feast for you and your escorts. I hope you like tea."

"Love it, sir."

With a nod, the call ended and Violet pocketed her scroll, "I hope that was enough to convince you. We really do want what's best for the faunus, Tukson."

Qrow, sensing the change in the atmosphere, let go of Tukson's wrists. The large man gave an appreciative glance back over his shoulder before rolling out the kinks. Apparently Qrow had one hell of a grip.

Tukson sighed heavily, looking back up at Violet with his face bruised black and blue, "Torchwick is holed up in the warehouse on Chelsea. Big place, two story. Can't miss it with all the White Fang scouts posted up. They don't wear their uniforms, but it's the only place on the strip that isn't deserted. There's usually at least one guard posted in a building across the street. Third floor, fifth window from the left."

"Thank you, Tukson. When _is_ the next rally?"

Tukson grimaced, "Tonight. Sorry, but I told you tomorrow so that I'd have time to let him know you were coming…"

Violet patted his forearm gently, "No worries. Anyone else would have been tempted to do the same if they were in your shoes. Gotta look out for number one, right?"

"... Right…" Tukson seemed put off by Violet's easy acceptance of the ruse, but gave an uncertain shrug, "Their whole crew is supposed to be there."

Violet got a distant look in her eyes, a smile on her face, and glanced towards Qrow, "Thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That it's time to crash a party?" Qrow replied with a smirk, cracking his knuckles.

Violet nodded, "Let's save Amber."

* * *

"Nice to meet you, Mister Tukson," the tall black haired youth greeted, extending a hand out for Tukson to shake it, "My name is Yatsuhashi," his hand began to point, "That is Velvet, that's Coco, and that is Fox. We'll be your guards on this trip."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Tukson replied easily, looking the group up and down and sparing a long smile to the rabbit faunus, "I must say, you all look like you've come prepared."

Yatsuhashi's hand drifted to the large greatsword strapped to his back, "We are ready for any dangers that may come our way," he gestured towards the large airship that awaited them on the tarmac, "You'll have your own compartment to yourself. Two of us will stand guard at all times, changing in shifts until we reach our destination."

"Oooooh!" Velvet cooed, wrapping the girl Coco in a hug, "I'm so excited for us to see Kuo Kuana!"

"Me too, Vel. I've heard it's nice this time of year," Coco smirked and returned the hug before releasing abruptly, "but this is a _business_ trip, bunny. Stay focused."

Velvet pulled away and gave a quick nod along with a smile before turning back to Tukson and flashing him a hasty salute, "You have nothing to worry about!"

Tukson smiled, "Glad to hear it."

The group entered through the side of the airship, a long ramp leading up to the tall doors. Yatsuhashi still needed to bend down in order to get through them, though Tukson had no troubles. He was guided to his compartment near the front of the airship, passing many similarly dressed attendants along the way. Each gave a smile and curtsey before leaving to complete their tasks.

"That kid wasn't lying about First Class accommodations…" Tukson's head moved on a swivel, taking in the intricate detailed work and finery that lined the hall. Yatsuhashi opened the door to Tukson's compartment, and the faunus had to stop for a moment to take it in.

"How much did this cost…?"

Coco shrugged, "Violet let me borrow her card to pay for it, along with whatever we need in Menagerie," her eyes roamed over the room, "Let's just say… it _wasn't_ cheap… and leave it at that."

Tukson nodded his acceptance and stepped into what would be more accurately described as a small lounge. The carpet was extravagant, the walls gilded, the couch clothed in silk. Tukson sat down near the window to glance out over the edge of the Beacon platform down on the city below.

' _I hope the kid is doing alright…_ ' It had been a couple hours since Tukson gave them the location of Torchwick's current hideout. They had left quickly after dropping him off at Beacon with the promise that the airship would be by soon. From his place at the window, Tukson could just barely see into the warehouse district.

He leaned closer and pushed a plant out of the way that had been left in the sill. Black flowers didn't interest him much compared to the rest of the room or the sight from atop Beacon. Tukson had never been atop the cliffs that overlooked the city. It was quite a view…

The door opened behind him, startling the faunus slightly before he turned around and breathed out a sigh of relief. One of the attendants stood in the door with a tray. She walked the few paces needed and set it down on his coffee table. A steaming cup of tea sat atop it, along with some gourmet food that Tukson would never have been able to name.

"Thank you," Tukson smiled and blew on the cup before taking a sip. It was bitter, but had a minty aftertaste that was overall pleasant.

The small female attendant smiled and rooted around in her pocket before pulling out a scroll. Tukson frowned in confusion as she dialed a number and set it down on the table in front of him. He yawned, the stress of the day starting to get to him all at once.

Tukson straightened in fear as the image of Roman Torchwick appeared on the display, smug look and all, sneering at the faunus through the screen, " _So_ , Tukson. Thought you could get away, did you? I _told_ you, we would come after you," Roman shook his head, "Stupid animals. This is what I get for working with common strays."

The attendant's clothes shimmered like glass, transforming from bottom to top into the short psychopath known as Neo. Tukson tried to stand, and was shocked to feel his legs refuse. He opened his mouth to shout, but no air would come out. He could only sit there limply, the cup falling to the ground from his hands that had lost all their strength.

"Unfortunately, your services are no longer required. I bought something special just for you, though. A flower native to Mistral. Can you feel its affects? First, the body goes completely numb…"

Tukson could only gurgle in response, his body refusing to cooperate even as he thrashed internally, fighting to make his body do something, _anything!_ Tukson groaned as his body began to feel like it was in a vice. Every part, clenched tightly by some invisible force.

"Then, your blood begins to coagulate all at once and expand. I've been told that after a few seconds, it becomes _quite_ excruciating."

Every inch of Tukson's body felt like it was ready to burst. He could see his veins bulging along his forearms, going from a light blue to a pitch black as the poison took its affect, ' _Someone help, please!_ ' Tukson couldn't draw breath to scream.

Neo smiled and bent to look more closely at Tukson's eyes, tilting her head as she enjoyed the show.

The door exploded open from the hallway, and all at once a barrage of gunfire peppered its way towards the small assassin. Neo flipped backwards over the table, grabbing the scroll as she went. Bullets ripped holes through the airship's wall, shredded in mere moments by the gatling gun being hefted by Coco.

Neo flashed the group of second year students one annoyed pout, and was gone, body shattering into a thousand pieces and scattering across the ground.

Velvet pushed past and rushed to Tukson's side, placing a large floppy ear against his chest, "He's fading fast! It must be some kind of poison!" Her eyes took in the blackened veins across his body, the shattered cup on the ground, and the black flower in the windowsill. She whimpered, "It's from the black lotus… I don't know how to mix the antidote!"

Yatsuhashi strode forward in three long steps and swiped up the flower by the base, careful not to touch the leaves themselves, "It is more simple than you think. The black lotus provides its cure through the nectar, so that the small bugs that transfer its pollen are not harmed," the large student showed exceeding finesse as he swiped up some of the nectar with his finger. It was thick and bright purple, almost like a syrup, and clung to his skin.

Yatsuhashi forced Tukson's mouth open and rubbed the nectar across his tongue, then shut his mouth. The nectar quickly began to dissolve, and although it wasn't immediate relief, Tukson could feel his ability to breath at least come back. Yatsuhashi waited a few seconds, then repeated the process. He applied the nectar five times, until the base of the flower was all but empty, and helped Tukson to lie down across the couch. Velvet sat next to him, holding him steady and nervously tapping her foot against the floor, tears in her eyes.

His breathing stable, Tukson could see the black in his veins ever so slowly beginning to recede. After five minutes, he could breathe without issue. After ten, he could twitch his fingers. After twenty, he finally managed to sit up with the large student's help.

Tukson took another deep breath, "Th...Thank… You…"

Yatsuhashi shook his head, "If it was not for Fox's semblance, we would not have known you were in trouble."

Tukson slowly turned his head to eye the orange-skinned student and gave a weak nod, the best he could manage.

' _You are welcome_ ,' a voice said in his head, matching what Tukson might have imagined the young man to sound like.

' _You can project your thoughts?_ ' Tukson wondered curiously.

' _And hear others_ ,' Fox confirmed with a smile, ' _I heard your shout for help and alerted the others. I'm glad you're alive_.'

' _Me too_ ,' Tukson could feel the nervous laugh transla _te through his thoughts, then froze, panic once again taking hold, 'I can't speak well enough to yet, but you have to warn them! Torchwick knew I had betrayed him already somehow. I don't know what the girl or that huntsman are walking into!_ '

The other three seemed to pause and listen to a voice before sharing concerned glances. Coco whipped out her scroll, fingers wildly blurring across its screen as she dialed a number. She finished and held it up to her ear, muttering "C'mon… pick up… pick up…"

An enormous orange glow lit up the Vale night sky, the product of an explosion in the warehouse district.

A few more moments passed in silence before the scroll went to voicemail.

 _Click_ , "Hey!~ This is Violet's scroll! Sorry I'm not available right now~ Leave a message after the beep!"


	24. The Heat of the Moment

The moon crested above the rooftops, illuminating the White Fang members in a pale glow as they made their rounds of the large warehouse. Violet remained in the mouth of an alleyway a few buildings down, eyes scanning the area for every minute detail. Qrow had broken off a few minutes beforehand to 'climb' up to the top floor of the three story office building across the street.

There was a moderate amount of activity around the Fang's hideout, with four guards posted on the ground level, and the one Qrow was attempting to sneak up on. The address and building were familiar to Violet. It was the same as it had been earlier in the week. The White Fang members on the street wore no masks, but among them was at least one with a tail, and another with an extra set of ears poking up out of her long brown hair.

The deep rumbling sound of a vehicle interrupted the night's silence. Violet peeked from cover to see a transport heading down the street. It pulled to a stop in front of the wide bay doors, but didn't enter. The driver hopped out to speak with one of the guards, then headed past him into the building itself, leaving the vehicle parked outside.

' _What's in there?_ ' Violet narrowed her eyes, trying to focus in on the vehicle. A deep green canvas stretched over the back of the truck, obscuring its contents from view. Violet wouldn't have been able to see inside the warehouse regardless. With her position two alleys down on the same side of the street, anything past the bay doors would have been a mystery.

Violet's eyes drifted up to the guard in the window across the street. The window was open, drapes partially closed to provide cover. Through the six inch crack, Violet could see the faunus watching over the street. He at least wore his White Fang mask, providing a point in the dark that Violet could focus on with her human eyes.

" _I'm in,_ " Qrow's voice buzzed over Violet's earpiece, signalling that he had made his way into the top floor.

"He's right where Tukson said. Fifth window from the left," Violet squinted, "He hasn't moved since I've been here."

" _Might have fallen asleep at his post. The White Fang isn't exactly known for training the best_ ," Qrow's voice crackled back.

"Standing like that? I don't think so."

" _Who knows? Maybe he's a horse faunus_."

Violet let out a small snort, "That wouldn't be a very worthwhile trait."

" _He's making the most of it._ "

Violet shook her head with a smile and continued to watch over the street, then hunkered down as the guards began to show signs of movement. The one that had gone inside returned, eyes scanning the street for a moment before waving to the guards out front. The four of them shared his look around the area before moving to the back of the truck and hopping in. The engine fired up, lights flickering back to life before driving away into the distance.

"Hey… Qrow…."

" _Not now, kid. Radio silence. I'm almost to the door_."

Violet's eyes whipped back up to the unmoving guard, the only one that wore a mask that just so happened to make him extremely visible to anyone keeping an eye out, " _Qrow._ Wait. Something isn't right."

" _Getting the jitters? Happens to the best of us, kid. Don't sweat it._ "

" _No_ , Qrow. The rest of the guards just _left_."

" _What? Where did they go?_ "

Violet's scroll began to buzz in her pocket. She ignored it and focused on the situation at hand, trying to figure out what Torchwick may have been planning, "They left in a truck that showed up. There's no guards out here except the one in the building with you…"

"...Sounds like a setup. I'll meet you back ou-..." Qrow's voice crackled more than usual, the connection dropping for a moment as his voice faltered, "Ruby...? Ruby! Come back here! Violet! Did you give the rest of your team the address!?"

' _Ruby?_ ' "No, of course not. Where did you see Ruby?"

"She just crossed the hall into that room… Ruby! Don't think I didn't see you! We need to get out of here!" Qrow's voice came through as a loud whisper, as if he was still trying to remain silent while shouting to be heard a short distance away.

Violet stared up at the unmoving guard, ' _Emerald…_ ' "Qrow, you have to _get out_ of there! Ruby is still at Beacon!"

" _I saw her, kid!_ "

A flash of green hair announced Emerald's presence as she jumped from a third floor window on to the rooftop of the two story building next to it. She dropped into a roll to catch her fall and disappeared behind the lip of the roof, vanishing from sight completely.

" _Qrow! Get ou-!_ " Violet began to shout, activating her semblance. She managed to take two steps before being hurled back into the mouth of the alleyway. An earth shattering explosion leveled the second and third floor of the building across the street, sending a shockwave reverberating outwards that caught Violet full force.

Debris scattered across the surrounding area. Huge chunks of rubble cracked the pavement and showered Violet with pieces of stone and wood. She coughed to clear her throat and pushed some of the rubble off herself, peering through the smoke and dust that lay thick in the air. Flames suffused what was left of the building, its entire top half gone completely in the blast.

" _Qrow!?_ Qrow answer me!" Violet desperately called out over her earpiece, hoping for any sign that the huntsman was still alive.

A low buzz was Violet's only answer.

The sound of rubble being disturbed behind her caused Violet to spin around. Mercury grinned as he emerged from the smoke, body lowering into a combat stance.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

* * *

"They finished up your armor," Vernal stepped into the tent, holding Raven's outfit folded in her hands. The metal of the bracers gleamed as she set it down in the light of the nearby lantern.

"Thank you, Vernal," Raven moved to change into her battle garments. She had considered wearing something less intimidating to her meeting with Yang, but first impressions were important. Yang should see her for how she was, not how the child wished Raven would be.

"You're really going through with this? I don't think it's going to be a very happy reunion," Vernal stood off to the side, arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"It needs to be done. I already told you why."

"I know. Even still, it's hard to believe."

Raven finished pulling up her skirt, then began on the thin black stockings before moving on to her bracers and boots. With a few more odds and ends added in, and her beaded necklace around her neck, Raven strapped Omen to her hip. Her hand reflexively reached out to her grimm mask on the table and paused, hesitant.

"I wouldn't, unless you're trying to scare the kid away," Vernal teased with a smirk, eyeing the gruesome mask that was the source of many nightmares across the small towns of Mistral.

Raven let her hand fall to her side, "Not this time. If she decides to act out then I may have no other choice in the future."

Vernal shrugged, "Tough love. The kid's had it pretty easy up until now, living in Vale."

"You have no idea," Raven sighed, "That city breeds weakness. It makes it that much easier for Oz to _control_."

Vernal stepped forward and raised her hands to begin making small adjustments to Raven's outfit, tightening straps and realigning her belt, "Why didn't you bring her with you to the camp? If I survived out here, then your own flesh and blood certainly would have."

Raven scoffed, "And be forced to constantly fight off the grimm because of the child's tantrums? Where would I have left her during raids? Mercenaries don't exactly make the best babysitters, Vernal. It was easier for everyone involved that she stayed in Vale."

"She won't see it that way."

"Because Yang is naive," Raven flipped her hair over her shoulder, "It's my duty as her mother to fix that."

Vernal stepped back, final adjustments complete, and looked Raven over, "Well, best of luck. Any idea if she's alone right now?"

Raven focused on her semblance. Through it, she could gain insight into the feelings of those she was closest to emotionally. In Vernal, the smallest tinge of jealousy. In Tai, melancholy like always. He was missing his children, now that they were off to Beacon and he'd been left at the house alone. Qrow…

Raven frowned, feeling the increasing panic setting in through her connection with her brother. It was unlike him to lose his cool, even in fights to the death. Her brother was confident and collected at all times. They had been trained since birth to not allow their emotions to get the best of them during battle.

Making her decision in the moment, Raven unsheathed her weapon and slashed a red portal open, connecting their point of reality with another in Vale. Raven held up a cautioning hand to Vernal before stepping through the portal, fingers tightly wrapped around the hilt of Omen.

"Ruby! Don't think I didn't see you! We need to get out of here!" Qrow's voice was in a low, frantic whisper.

Raven froze for only an instant, eyes taking in the gallon fuel drums and fire dust charges lining the hallway that Qrow was currently standing in, along with the young green haired huntress at the end of the hallway. The girl's eyes widened, seeing Raven appear from the portal behind Qrow.

"I saw her, kid!" Qrow shouted, entirely ignoring the girl at the end of the hall. Raven's eyes narrowed, taking in how oblivious her brother was being. The girl's semblance had to have a hand in the way he was acting.

Raven shifted her stance lower, bending her knees and preparing to attack. The girl backpedaled, then turned on her heel and sprinted for the open window at the end of the hall. She dove out of it to the adjacent rooftop and spun around, raising a metallic device.

' _Shit!_ ' Raven grabbed Qrow by the back of his cloak and hurled him through her portal with all her strength. His face changed to one of shock for an instant, expression clearing as the girl's semblance lost its hold before he disappeared through the rippling red tear in space.

Raven dove through after him, simultaneously dropping control of her semblance to allow the portal to collapse, and throwing up a thick sheet of ice with her maiden powers once they were on the other side. With only a moment to create it, the ice was ripped to pieces by the blast that followed them through the narrowly closing hole. A gout of flames blasted outwards over their heads, igniting the wall of the tent.

With the sound of sucking air, the portal closed and extinguished the fire, cutting off the source of the intense heat. Vernal rushed to smother the fire with a small rug, managing to get the majority of it quickly enough to prevent serious damage. Qrow coughed, waving a hand across his face, and stared intently up at Raven.

"What the hell just happened?"

"You almost _died_ , idiot! That's what happened!" Raven snarled, patting down part of her armor that had also been set aflame, "A _kid_ almost got the drop on you!"

Qrow's face turned chalk white, "Ruby… _No!_..."

"I don't think she was actually there, Qrow," Raven fumed, rolling her eyes at her brother, "You were walking through a building full of explosives. Did you not see them?"

"What? There weren't…" Qrow shook his head, "I need to get back to Vale, _now_. Violet is still out there!"

Raven sighed, "Yang or Tai? You could get there faster from Yang…" she focused on her connection, "I don't think she's alone at the moment."

"Yang is fine," Qrow growled, dusting himself off.

Raven drew Omen once more and sliced it through the air before stopping Qrow with a hand, "This was your _one_. Don't expect me to swoop in and save you again."

"You said that last time, Raven," Qrow tried to push past, but his sister's hand remained firm.

"I _mean it_ this time. I can't afford to continue getting myself noticed like this. You're dealing with forces beyond your control. I don't want any part of Salem's war."

"You should have thought of that before becoming a _maiden_ ," Qrow replied haughtily, then shoved past, vanishing through the portal.

Raven allowed it to close and resheathed her weapon, taking a look around at the partial devastation that had been wrought on her small abode. She shook her head, "Not even a simple 'thank you'."

"Could use some help here, Raven!" Vernal shouted, struggling to reach a patch of flames that was working its way across the ceiling.

Raven sighed once more, raising her hand to begin casting ice on to the remaining flames as she grumbled, "Gotta do _everything_ myself…"

* * *

"How's it going over there Rubes?" Yang asked from her place on the floor, hands furiously mashing buttons on the controller she held. She sat with her legs crossed and hands in her lap, leaning forward to stare intently at the screen. Blake sat next to her, arms wrapped around her knees to grip her own controller as she humored Yang, playing as more of a punching bag than an actual opponent. Even still, a small smile tugged at her lips every time she managed to get a glancing blow in.

"I'm okay…" Ruby replied in mild distraction of her own. She had snagged Violet's notes for Oobleck's class, only to find it full of doodles in the margins and very few actual notes that had been taken, "I need to look at someone else's notes. Violet's aren't helping at all."

"Yeah, she doesn't really pay much attention in that class," Yang snorted, leaning to the side as she blocked a rapid series of attacks from Blake's character, "Must have had some _expensive_ tutors in Atlas."

Blake tilted her body in the same direction as Yang, trying to get in a hit past the blond's defenses, "You know, I asked one time and Violet told me she had tutors since she was _five_. Not just a single teacher and then more later on. _Multiple_ tutors… for a five year old."

"Well, it paid off," Ruby tossed Violet's notebook back on to her nearby desk, "I can't make heads or tails of what she wrote down half the time. Most of it isn't even _in_ the book."

" _Very_ expensive," Blake confirmed, both girls now tipping back the other way as she was forced to defend instead, "You can borrow my notes though, Ruby. They're under the book on my desk."

"Thanks!" Ruby hopped up and headed over to Blake's desk, quickly noticing the decently sized hardback that she'd been reading over the last week or so. Ruby hefted it and read the title, seeing that the book marker had been placed at the very end, "Did you finish the book Violet gave you?"

"Yeah! I'm hoping she gets back soon so we can talk about it," Blake sighed and set down the controller as Yang cheered in victory, edging out Blake's potential come back.

' _The Lonely Goddess, huh?_ ' Ruby flipped through it to get an idea for how long it really was, "Is it okay if I read it next?"

Blake laid backwards, getting an eye on Ruby from her upside down position on the floor, "Promise to treat it nicely? No dog-earing, no tears, no smudges?"

Ruby gave a mocking gasp and held a hand to her chest as if insulted, "You've seen my comics. They're pristine!"

"As long as you're careful, then I don't mind," Blake pulled herself back up as the next round counted down, timer audibly ticking down the seconds, "It isn't really an adventure story, though. Fair warning."

"What is it, then?" Ruby spun the book around to try and get a look at the synopsis. It certainly _sounded_ like an adventure.

Blake shrugged, "You'll have to read it yourself for that. I'd be heading into spoiler territory if I say too much."

"But you still recommend it?"

"Absolutely. It's really interesting, at the very least. You'll find out for yourself once you get into it."

Ruby headed back over to her desk, book and notes in hand to continue with her studying. Opening up Blake's notebook, the faunus had kept far better track of the topics that would be showing up on the test. With the groundwork laid out, Ruby focused back on the issue at hand; not disappointing her team leader.

An hour later, and with a bit more help from the other two girls, Ruby was ready to call it quits. Her eyes were trying to shut of their own accord, and she couldn't help but yawn every minute or so. Ruby replaced Blake's notebook and gave Violet's empty bed a concerned frown.

"Should we give them a call? It's getting pretty late," Ruby asked the other two.

Yang shrugged, "You can if you want. Violet said not to stay up or anything though, so I think she knew it was gonna be a late night for them."

"Isn't your uncle pretty strong? They should be fine..." Blake answered as well from her place up in bed. Despite her words, she was still checking the time on her scroll every few minutes, and was obviously watching the door for their leader's return.

While Ruby was looking at Blake, she noticed the faunus's ears visibly perk up and twitch towards the window. Blake hopped off her bed and pulled the drapes aside, peering out into the night, "Did either of you hear that?"

Ruby and Yang exchanged confused glances, "Hear what?"

"It sounded like an explosion down in Vale…"

The three of them looked to Violet's empty bed in unison.

Yang partially sat up off her own bed, voice low, "You don't think…?"

Blake moved to the dressers and flung Yang and Ruby's combat outfits to them, "Unfortunately, I _do_. Get ready, we're heading out."

The three quickly changed, throwing off their sleepwear to slip into their outfits. No sooner had they strapped on their weapons before something appeared in the room with them. Ruby pulled the bolt back on Crescent Rose, Yang punched the air to cock her Ember Celicas, and Blake pulled back the slide on Gambol Shroud. The sound of voices could barely be heard through the red portal before Uncle Qrow barged through, straight into their dorm.

"Qrow!?" Yang exclaimed, letting her fists drop at the sight of her uncle, "How the hell…?"

"No time to explain," Qrow shouted and ripped open the door, downright sprinting out into the hallway. The door closed behind him while the three girls stood in shock, wondering what was going on. Only seconds later, the portal winked back closed and was gone, its presence only a memory shared by the occupants.

"Let's follow him," Ruby said seriously, collapsing Crescent Rose to place it on her back, "If Qrow is alone, then something might have happened to Violet. We need to go help."

Yang and Blake nodded their assent and headed for the door, determined to catch up with the older huntsman. What they were met with once they stepped out was an empty hallway and an open window. Qrow had vanished as quickly as he'd appeared, leaving no trail to speak of.

Ruby grimaced, "To the bullheads, then. We might be able to see where the explosion was from the air and have the pilot take us straight to it."

The three girls sprinted through the halls, with Ruby taking the lead. Once they reached the doors out into the courtyard, the small reaper activated her semblance to blur ahead to the bullheads in an attempt to optimize their time. Ruby ground to a halt, seeing a larger ship docked off to the side with team Coffee, a familiar figure in tow.

"Velvet! Coco! What happened!?"

The two kept a wary eye on their surroundings. Velvet's long ears stood at attention, flopping from side to side as she listened intently. Coco spared Ruby a glance, "We were about to start our escort mission for Tukson. Some crazy girl snuck on board and poisoned him," she checked back on Yatsuhashi, who was all but carrying Tukson, "Luckily, at least _one_ member of our team pays attention in Professor Peach's class."

Hearing his name, Ruby now recognized the muscle bound man as the owner of the bookshop down in Vale. His skin was pale, while his veins were darker than normal and protruded from his skin as if struggling to break free. Tukson gave a very weak wave, barely able to raise his arm.

"Tukson!?" Blake yelled in confusion as she and Yang caught up. The two stopped next to Ruby, "What are you doing here?"

Coco frowned, "He was heading to Menagerie to act as an informant against Torchwick and the White Fang. Violet and your dad didn't tell you?"

"An informant…?" Blake tilted her head to the side, ears lowered, "Were you working for the White Fang?"

Tukson gave a small, tired nod.

"Excuse us," Yatsuhashi pressed past, forcing the girls to make way, "He shouldn't speak yet. We need to get him to the infirmary to help reduce the effects of the poison."

The rest of team Coffee followed with him, continuing to keep watch. However, Fox stopped after appearing to listen to something for a moment and turned back to the group. Ruby heard a voice in her head as Fox gestured to them, "Tukson would like to apologize… and promises that he didn't set up your teammate."

Yang's eyes flashed red, her fist clenched down at the side, "He'd better _pray_ we don't find out differently. I'll do _worse_ than poison him."

Blake's hand reached out to grab Yang's from behind and pull her away, "Let's go. We're wasting time here."

Yang's eyes immediately reverted to lilac. She gave a tight nod to Blake and set off at a jog for the bullheads. Ruby could still see her sister's face was set with fierce determination and hoped it was reflected on her own.

' _Please be okay, Violet. We're coming!_ '

* * *

The wall next to her exploded outwards as Violet managed to divert Mercury's kick, edging the blow past her while backpedaling. In a moment, Zenith was off her back and held between the two of them. Mercury slowly withdrew his foot from the wall, bits of brick and mortar falling loose in a small shower compared to the devastation that lay around them.

Violet's eyes burned, tears being held back through sheer force of will, ' _I failed again… All I did was trade Qrow for my team. Why did I think I could protect anyone at all?_ '

Mercury grinned, looking over her shoulder to the ruined building, "At least his death was quick. He didn't even see it coming. That's better than most get," he lowered back into his combat stance, "Like you, for instance."

Anger began to boil to the surface of Violet's mind, her hand quivered on Zenith's hilt as she sneered, "You think you're strong enough to take me, Mercury? I'll tell you this much right now… You wasted your explosives on the wrong person."

Mercury laughed, "Oh? I guess I won't go easy on you then!"

The assassin dashed forward with a sudden burst of speed, immediately going into a quick series of kicks to feel out Violet's defenses. With Zenith's weight currently absorbed by her semblance, she easily kept pace with Mercury's attacks. Each blow was stopped before it could reach its mark or deflected in an attempt to throw him off balance.

Violet managed one particularly good riposte, catching Mercury's ankle with the blunt side of her greatsword and knocking his attack off course. He was sent into a wider spin, ending with his back nearly turned. Violet continued with her own momentum into a swing, dumping Zenith's weight and her own body mass into the greatsword. Nearly two hundred pounds of steel slashed through the air at her target.

In the instant Zenith made contact, Violet knew she'd made a mistake. The blade whistled through empty air without hitting anything, the illusion puffing into smoke. An invisible kick collided with her back, sending her flying forward with her reduced mass. Violet rolled with it back to her feet and swung back around, blindly asserting distance between herself and where Mercury might be.

' _Emerald is still around…_ ' Violet's eyes scanned the rooftop where she'd seen the green haired thief leap to before, but couldn't make out Emerald's position. She'd moved to another area to keep an eye on the fight, and was using her powers to assist Mercury.

Violet backed up more, hoping to break line of sight by stepping into the alleyway. However, Mercury remained invisible. Violet carefully watched the rubble strewn across the ground, hoping for any hints she could get to his location. ' _I could end this in an instant if I used my maiden powers, but then Emerald would be able to escape and tell Cinder… I need to catch both of them._ '

The small shifting of a brick was Violet's only warning to raise her sword to the left. She rocked backwards as the attack was blocked, then stepped back, continuing to press further and further into the alley. The wafting of some dust in the air warned her next, causing her to duck. Violet felt the breeze ruffle her hair, Mercury's foot surely passing mere inches away.

Going on the offense, Violet used wide arcs across the front, seeing the rubble shift beneath Mercury's feet as he was pressed back. Without Zenith's long reach, her tactic wouldn't have been viable in the slightest. Fortunately, the greatsword wasn't something you'd want to risk getting hit by.

Violet stumbled forward as a barrage of bullets hammered into her back, revealing the direction of Emerald's position, though Violet paid dearly for it. She pressed her attack, doing her best to ignore her aura getting dropped low, and passed the edge of the alleyway. With no line of sight on Violet, Emerald's semblance dropped and Mercury appeared once more, already on the counterattack. His smug smile dripped with confidence.

Mercury launched himself up, falling down with a heel kick aimed at Violet's head. Zenith intercepted the blow, but was too slow to block his follow up kick that slammed into her chest. Violet threw herself backwards with the attack, allowing herself more distance from the alleyway. She wasn't sure how far back Emerald was, but at this rate, she'd have to take her chances.

Zenith transformed in her hands, its blade collapsing and middle splitting apart to reveal the coils within. With the gap between them, Violet had enough time to load in a projectile before Mercury was on top of her again. Violet focused on dodging instead, and bid her time. It was difficult, but with her eons of experience, she managed to keep Mercury from landing another solid hit.

After a few more moments, Violet's vision swam and Mercury once again vanished. Taking this as her queue, Violet aimed at the alleyway she'd come from and fired. The rubble strewn across the ground in front of her was instantly blown away as the forty pound steel projectile blasted from the barrel at Mach three. Amethyst colored lightning shot outwards with it, streaking through the air to whip against the building. A five foot wide hole had appeared through the wall and was cut from the corner of the nearest building. The edges of the holes dripped molten rock from the heat created in Zenith's path.

Mercury reappeared slowly, standing slightly off to the side, eyes wide as he took in the carnage that Violet's weapon had caused. Blood and gore steamed while what little was left of Emerald's body lay scattered across the ground. The corner of the building groaned, bits of rubble falling beneath the pressure of its missing support beam.

"I _liked_ Qrow…" Violet stared at the remains of Emerald before turning to look at Mercury, a deep seated fury in her eyes, "There are a lot of characters in this story. On a scale of one to ten, I'd say he was an eight."

Violet raised a hand out towards Mercury. Amethyst ice shot up from the ground to grasp his arms and legs, freezing him in place. Her hand ignited, flames licking outwards while she crossed the short distance to stand in front of him.

"Do you know where _you're_ at on that scale?"

Mercury desperately struggled against his bonds, ineffectually trying to tear his limbs free. His breath came out hitched, in sheer terror, "Y-you're a _maiden!?_ "

Violet sighed and placed her hand against his chest, "Not exactly."

Mercury screamed as his body was immolated, amethyst flames rippling over his entire body, ignoring his aura completely. The assassin's muscles went taught as his adrenaline tried to kick in for a moment, feeding him all the strength he could muster. The ice cracked in a few places before Mercury's body went slack. His head slumped forward, chin resting against his chest, eyes wide open.

Violet let Zenith fall to the ground, it's coils still steaming from the recent shot it had made. She fell to her knees alongside it and wrapped her arms around her head, closing her eyes and burying her face in the rubble.

Violet could imagine the heartbreak on Ruby's face, the accusations on Yangs, the disappointment on Blake's. She had betrayed their trust while trying to protect them, and it had ended in the loss of more than Violet could bare. The memories once again resurfaced, the deaths of all those she cared for in the past boiling to the forefront of her mind. Qrow's face was one of many, a singular flickering candle among an ocean of tiny flames. Many of them had burned brightly, but one by one, they had all been snuffed out in the end.

' _My fault…_ ' Tears finally broke from Violet's hold and flowed freely, pouring down her cheeks and into the sleeves of her coat, ' _I'm so sorry, Ruby. I'm sorry, Yang. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have even brought Qrow into it. I thought it would be okay… he was so tough and experienced… We could have taken on the world together…_ ' Violet's shoulders shook, her breath coming in choked bursts, ' _Now what will I do?_ '

"Kid!?" an echoing shout pulled Violet from her stupor. She raised her head and turned around, searching for the source of the familiar shout. Violet rubbed her coat's sleeve across her eyes, trying to wipe away some of the tears that blurred her vision. Qrow swam into view, his head on a swivel as he took in the devastation.

"Q-... Qrow?" Violet stumbled as she raised back up to her feet, realizing in the moment just how close she'd been to death herself. Her aura flickered weakly in the light of the burning building.

Qrow's eyes caught on to Violet and he rushed forward, quickly grabbing her by the forearms and checking her over, "Oh, thank god. I thought you were a goner…"

Violet stared up into his face in confusion, "Wha…? _How!?_ I thought _you_ died in that explosion!"

Qrow took in Mercury, propped up by Violet's ice, and closed his eyes when he noticed the pieces of Emerald that remained. He pulled Violet into a tight hug, hiding her face against his chest, "It's alright, kid. My sister managed to pull me out before the explosion… I'll explain later. For now, we should get you out of here. You look terrible."

Violet's back ached from where Emerald had shot her, and she wasn't totally certain her difficulty breathing was all due to her grief. Mercury's attack _had_ made a solid connection with her chest in the fight, "That sounds good…"

Violet allowed her ice to disintegrate without looking back, wanting to at least keep up appearances and pretended to be ashamed of what she'd done. These _were_ the first two people that 'Violet Regalia' had ever killed. It was an unfortunate loss, all things aside. She would have been interested to see if the two could break their ties from Salem in the future… Violet might have even helped them do so if things hadn't come to a head so soon.

The roar of an approaching bullhead put both of them on alert. Violet reached down and dragged Zenith back up, transforming it into a greatsword to hold at the ready. The engines of the bullhead stirred up the dust anew, sending thick plumes back up into the air. Violet and Qrow both held hands up to shield their eyes while trying to get a look at the occupants that just then began jumping out.

' _Great…_ ' Violet cursed her luck as the rest of team Vibrant arrived on the scene, and turned to Qrow, "Was this your sister's doing, too?"

"Kind of…" Qrow grumbled, then helped Violet along as the two made their way towards the bullhead.

"Violet!" Ruby rushed to her other side, doing her best to support her team leader, "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine, Ruby…."

Yang and Blake both looked over the remnants of the battle. Their eyes took in Mercury's body, a spark of recognition igniting in their eyes from seeing him at the pizzeria. With a small flex of her powers, Violet made sure they wouldn't see the chunks of Emerald, nor the splatters of blood that remained.

"Vi…" Yang's hand drew back in a fist as the three got closer, then flew forward, stopping inches from Violet's face. Her body trembled, eyes downcast with tears threatening to fall, "Don't… Don't you _dare_ ever do this again. _We_ are your team. Qrow _isn't_. How are we supposed to help protect you if we can't fight by your side?"

"I…" Violet could feel her anguish bubbling back up, "I wanted to keep all of _you_ safe."

"We can take care of ourselves, Violet," Blake crossed her arms. Her voice lacked any of Yang's acidity, though. Her eyes flickered back to Mercury's body every few seconds, "If we'd come with you, then maybe you… wouldn't have had to do _that_ …"

"There will be time for this later," Qrow growled and pressed past, working with Ruby to help Violet into the bullhead, "Let's get back to Beacon. _Now_."

The rest climbed in, and Qrow gave the pilot the signal to take off. Police vehicles were already pulling in to the street below, the first others on the scene to witness what had happened firsthand. With a miniscule wave, Violet made sure to remove the obscurement on Emerald's body. It wouldn't due to try and keep it a secret.

The trip back was quiet. The others either refused to speak, or didn't know what to say. Violet could tell though, that once they were back in the dorm, she'd be getting more than what she bargained for.


	25. Out in the Open

Violet turned a questioning eye to Qrow as they approached the Beacon platform, spotting the cruiser she'd hired for Tukson still docked off to the side. Squinting, she could see the bullet holes ripped through part of the hull facing out towards Vale. Qrow replied with a tired shrug.

"Tukson was poisoned before they could take off," Blake said tightly, noticing the brief exchange between the two of them, "Sounds like Torchwick's little cronie snuck on board to try and kill him."

Violet sighed, "They must have been watching his shop earlier… Might have even taken over his cameras… Roman worked fast, if that was all the warning they had."

"At least we have a clue to what he's been up to with all that stolen dust," Qrow grumbled, hands picking at part of his cape that had been singed, "Explosives, at the very least."

"How much were you both keeping secret from us…?" Yang said quietly, eyes going back and forth between them before focusing on Violet, "Weren't we going to start fresh next week? Why even invite Siren along?"

Violet gave an uncomfortable shrug, "I was hoping we'd get it wrapped up before the weekend, but then Ozpin wanted me to _prove_ myself with my maiden training the last few days… I asked Siren to come along because there would still be stragglers left over, even if we did take down Roman. The eight of us could have cleaned up… after all the higher ups were taken down."

"But why didn't you just trust us?" Ruby asked, eyes on Violet alone, "We would have helped!"

"And risk another incident like down at the docks?" Violet looked between all three as she said it, measuring their reactions, "You all almost _died!_ How could I have _that_ on my conscience? What if I led you all to your _graves!?_ "

"We _chose_ to be huntresses," Blake narrowed her eyes, "Every one of us _knows_ the consequences."

' _You've never experienced them firsthand… You don't really understand..._ '

Unfortunately, Violet couldn't be that direct. Instead, she sighed, "I know… I'm not trying to say any of you are weak, or that I don't _want_ you by my side… but when a mission like this calls for it, you send in someone like _Qrow_. Not _students._ "

" _You're_ a student, Vi," Yang replied haughtily.

"I'm a _maiden_ , Yang. Amber had half of her powers stolen, and is stuck in a coma at Beacon. Every second that her attacker is still out there is another second closer Amber gets to _dying_. It's _my_ responsibility to make sure that doesn't happen."

The bullhead pulled on to the runway and set down, signalling the group to hop out on to the tarmac. Violet waved off Qrow when he tried to help her get down. Her wounds were only aura deep. Violet's aura still sparked in some places, areas where rubble had impacted more heavily than most, and across her chest where Mercury's foot had made contact.

Ruby followed close behind, a worried frown on her face that was replaced with annoyance as Qrow stopped them all.

Qrow pocketed his scroll, "Violet and I need to go report to Ozpin. The rest of you head back to your room."

"Excuse me?" Yang crossed her arms, glowering at her uncle, "You're _still_ going to try and exclude us!?"

Qrow held up his hands defensively, "We're not excluding anyone, Firecracker. Violet will be back to your room soon enough. She can tell you what she needs to then."

' _Jee, thanks Qrow. Leave me to face the wolves alone, why don't ya?_ '

Blake looked Violet over, her eyes roaming over the dirt and grime that coated her clothes. Her eyes softened slightly, and she let out a small sigh, "We'll see you back at the dorm… I expect to hear _every_ detail about what you've been up to behind our backs."

Violet nodded, "No point holding back now, right…? I'll see you all back at the dorm."

Qrow led the way towards the CCT as the rest of team Vibrant watched them go before heading back into the dorm building. Violet peeked back over her shoulder a few times, watching their retreating forms, ' _That could have been worse…_ ' Only time would tell what words might be thrown around once Qrow wasn't around to hear it.

"You mentioned something earlier," Violet spoke up, turning back to Qrow, "Your _sister_ saved you? How?"

Qrow didn't bother to turn around, "Raven can feel the emotions of people she's close to and create portals straight to them from wherever she is. She must have sensed my panic for Ruby and decided to pop in."

"Sooo… Yang's mom could have visited her at _any_ time, from and to _anywhere_ , and hasn't bothered to in _seventeen_ years?"

"Sounds pretty terrible when you say it out loud, huh?"

"No, Qrow. It doesn't just _sound_ terrible. It _is_ terrible. Mom of the year material, right there."

"Trust me, kid. I wish I knew what my sister was thinking so I could beat some sense into her instead. We've never had that twin bond, though… Not like the ones you read about."

"Does _Yang_ know any of this? I'd assume not, since she's so hell bent on finding Raven. If you told her how awful her mother really was, maybe she'd stop looking for her."

Qrow sighed, "After Summer passed… Yang became obsessed with learning about her 'real' mother. Tai and I… We couldn't take away her hope like that."

"Yang isn't a _child_ anymore. She can take it straight."

"Easier said than done, kid."

The pair stepped into the elevator at the bottom of the CCT and the doors immediately closed, elevator shifting beneath them as it ascended to the top of the tower. After a handful of moments spent in uncomfortable silence, the doors dinged open to announce their presence to both Ozpin and Glynda, situated at the headmaster's desk.

Ozpin breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of Violet in one piece, "I'm glad to see you're both well."

"Well' is a strong word," Violet replied, moving across the room to lean Zenith against Ozpin's desk and sit heavily in the chair offered, "I'd say more overwhelmed, than anything."

"Could you each give your accounts of the night?" Ozpin asked evenly, raising a mug to his lips, "If you'd like to start, Qrow."

Qrow sat down next to Violet and recounted the events of the past few hours, beginning with their interrogation of Tukson and the idea that Torchwick may have had access to the bookshop's cameras. Then sneaking into the three story building and thinking he'd seen Ruby, and finally being saved by Raven.

Violet started from where Qrow ended. The green-haired girl that dove from the building before it exploded, Mercury attacking her in the alleyway, the way he'd turned invisible and her guess towards the cause.

"I had to take a chance, and it paid off… for me," Violet stared at Zenith, allowing her hands to shake slightly, "I killed both of them. Once she was dead, he wasn't turning invisible anymore, and I could use my maiden powers without holding back…"

Ozpin sighed, "The secret was not worth risking your life, Miss Regalia. The next time a situation arises where you must choose between the two… please don't hesitate to make sure you survive."

Violet gave a small nod, "I'll keep that in mind."

"Did you recognize the young man as one of Amber's attackers?"

Qrow shrugged uncertainly, "There was definitely one that wore grey in the group. If I had to take a guess, I'd say it was him. Making illusions like the girl did sounds about right for what I experienced with their faces being hazy before. Might have been the same semblance both times."

"So, only the half maiden remains, along with Torchwick and the White Fang. All things considered, I would call this night a victory," Ozpin gave an approving smile, looking at Violet, "Please don't believe that you've done anything wrong, this night. You defended yourself from extreme danger. Fate saw fit to make sure you came out on top. However, if you do find yourself feeling guilty… I _could_ schedule you a meeting with a counselor?" Ozpin quirked an eyebrow at the end, watching Violet's reaction closely.

Violet gripped her shaking hand to still it before reaching out and grabbing hold of Zenith. With a quick assertion of her semblance, she was able to pull it back towards herself, "That won't be necessary, Headmaster. Thank you for the offer, though. I'm ready to do what needs to be done… to protect my friends."

"Yes, and now the cat is out of the bag, as they say," Ozpin stroked his chin, "An unfortunate development…", his eyes shifted over to Miss Goodwitch, "Glynda, how fares team Vibrant in their team tactics training?"

"They're doing well. Each has put a lot of effort into coordinating with the others, and many of their team attacks are of a respectable level," she eyed Ozpin intently, "I wouldn't recommend sending _any_ of them out into the field, though."

"And why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because they're only in their first year!" Glynda's hackles had raised, her desire to protect the students she was in charge of clear to all in the room. She straightened back up and readjusted her glasses, though her hand still clutched her clipboard in a white knuckle grip, "If you want someone to take on Torchwick and this half maiden, then Qrow and I should suffice."

"You know as well as I that team Vibrant's members are all extremely capable," Ozpin replied slowly, setting down his cup and steepling his fingers together, "Do you believe there are even any in their _fourth_ year that could compete against them?"

Glynda opened her mouth to speak, but no words were forthcoming. She glared at Ozpin in frustration, finally conceding the point a few moments later, "No. I don't think they should be risking themselves so soon, either way."

"I second that," Qrow jumped in. He gave Violet's shoulder a nudge with his fist, "I accepted Violet coming along because of her powers. My _nieces_ should be left out of this."

"Ah, but they are headstrong, are they not? Do you wish to put them in confinement from now on while you and Violet are on your mission? They won't take kindly to being left out any longer than they already have been."

"He's right, Qrow," Violet gave the huntsman an apologetic smile, "Yang would force her way out of Beacon if she had to, and the other two would be right there along with her. I don't think we have much of a choice anymore. Speaking of which…" Violet turned her sad smile to Ozpin, "I _may_ have asked Siren to come along with us after the weekend… I thought we'd be done by the time Friday rolled around, and it would just be the dredges left over for us to comb through."

Ozpin shook his head dejectedly, "Another unfortunate development," he turned his eyes to Glynda, "Have team Siren begin working on their team tactics as well, starting tomorrow. They can switch off each day with team Vibrant."

"Ozpin," Glynda's voice was low, with a small quaver to it, "Are you sure? Your predi-"

"I _am_ sure, Miss Goodwitch," his eyes flashed a warning not to speak any further, "This night has taught me many things… and I believe it is in our best interest to act on them. Fate has decided for us."

The way Ozpin said the word 'fate' clued Violet into what they were really speaking of, though she could only guess at the context, ' _God has decided for us?' What's that supposed to mean? I haven't been manipulating much of anything lately, especially not directly…_ '

"You already know how I feel about it, Oz," Qrow said tightly, hands clenched into fists on his lap, "If either of my nieces get hurt…"

The pieces clicked together in Violet's mind as she finally managed to decypher out what Ozpin's reasoning must have been, ' _He thinks I want to hurt my team? Why? Because it would be more dramatic? Wow, I made a_ _ **bad**_ _first impression. I suppose that will help keep me under the radar, though. Who would think Violet Regalia and the 'evil self-absorbed goddess' are one and the same?_ '

Ozpin's eyes flashed another warning glare, this one directed at Qrow for a moment before he turned to smile at Violet, "Well, you have much to discuss with your team. I wish you the best of luck, Miss Regalia. Hopefully this does not impede you on your test tomorrow."

Violet waved a hand, "Oobleck's class is easy enough. Goodnight, professors, goodnight Qrow," she stood to leave, hefting Zenith on to her back in the process, "I'm… glad you aren't dead. You really had me worried for a minute there."

"Yeah," Qrow raised a sleeved hand up to Violet's face to rub away one of the tear tracks left on her cheeks, " _Worried_. Have a good one, kid. I'll let you know when our next mission is."

Violet smiled sadly and entered the elevator, giving one final nod goodbye as the doors closed and she was left alone with her thoughts. She shut her eyes and leaned forward against the wall, putting her forehead against her arm, ' _How the hell am I supposed to keep them all safe now? Rogue missions by myself? I don't want to risk any of them…_ ' Not even Qrow was a safe bet, apparently.

' _They'll be watching me so much more closely from now on. I'm not going to get a chance to go out on my own, not without cheating..._ ' Violet sighed, ' _Not an option, either._ '

Another part of Violet's mind whispered from within, her self-doubt rearing its head, ' _Haven't I already cheated? As much as I pretend it's the truth, I'm not a maiden. What's a little more…?_ '

' _No,_ ' Violet chided herself as she stood straight, the doors opening to reveal the ground floor, ' _That leads to boredom. I won't go that far._ '

' _You'd rather risk your friend's lives than be a little bored?_ '

Violet paused with her hand on the door out of the CCT, her mind a jumble of convoluted feelings, ' _Is that really what it boils down to...? Does that mean… Am I a selfish god?..._ '

Violet shivered and pulled her coat tighter around herself, stepping out into the cold night air. She didn't want to think about what the true answer to that question might be.

* * *

"I can't believe her!" Yang slammed the door to the dorm shut behind them after the three members of team Vibrant had all stepped inside, "She nearly gets herself killed, and all she can think about is protecting _us!?_ I'm not a porcelain doll!"

Blake went to stand in front of the window, her ears drooping down on top of her head while she looked out towards the CCT. Ruby sat heavily down in her desk chair and crossed her arms, huffing in annoyance.

Yang began to pace in front of the door, her fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. She was angry enough to hit something, but unfortunately, Violet's aura was low, and she doubted Miss Goodwitch would be willing to bring out the training androids so that the young blond could vent.

"I guess 'Auntie Vi' was a sign that we should have seen this coming," Blake said quietly, still facing out the window, "You said Violet saw us all as a family. If she sees herself as older and in charge, it only makes sense she'd want to protect us."

"She's the same age!" Yang fumed.

" _I_ know that, but I bet _Violet_ doesn't see it that way," Blake countered, sparing a glance over her shoulder to the blond that had stopped her pacing momentarily, "How many times has she saved your life, Yang?"

Yang crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, "...Three… counting the docks..."

"I can understand why she might want to leave us out of it… I've never been a leader, but during my time in the White Fang, I saw what it could do to a person. The guilt when someone you were supposed to keep safe _dies_ … I've seen it be the end of more than a few faunus that thought they could lead others. I wouldn't want that weight on my shoulders."

"Just because Violet's our leader, doesn't mean she can make decisions like that _for_ us," Yang argued, glaring at the faunus's back.

"I don't like it either," Blake shot back, "I'm only pointing out why I think she did it."

Ruby had been listening to the exchange and chose then to speak up, "Do you… think she's okay? That boy from Mistral…"

Blake seemed to draw into herself, "Violet… she must have not had any other option, right? She wouldn't kill someone if she didn't have to…"

Yang's anger lessened, her face changing to one of unease, "I don't think she would, either. You saw her aura. I could have broken it with a _single_ punch."

"Violet wouldn't kill anyone without good reason," Ruby said matter of factly, though her voice quavered.

Blake nodded, her fears seemingly eased, "I'm glad you agree. She's definitely never seemed like the type. Maybe, uh…" her eyes flickered to Yang and held there while the blond frowned back questioningly, "Maybe we should go easy on her? It can't be easy… having to take a life."

"If we let her get away with this, it'll only encourage her to try and do it again later on," Yang grumbled, "Even if she did… do what she needed to. We have to put our foot down right here and now. I'm _not_ getting left in the dark while Violet and Qrow risk their lives."

"We're Team V-Y-B-R, not Team V-Q!" Ruby added.

"So, how do we want to do this?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I want Violet to promise she'll use us," Yang said quietly, hand once more clenched into a fist, "I need that much, at the very least."

Blake took another glance out the window, "Well, here she comes."

Violet was visible from above, walking along the path that led from the CCT to the Beacon dorms. Her head was down, arms sagging tiredly as she kept her eyes on the cobblestone path in front of her. Violet didn't glance up towards their window as she wound out of sight, nearer the front door that would eventually lead to the dorm.

"Anything else?"

Ruby sat forward in her chair, an air of determination surrounding her, "I want to know everything… It might help make better sense of why she didn't want us involved."

Yang and Blake nodded agreement. Yang grabbed her desk chair and moved it to the carpet in front of the window, then gestured for both Blake and Ruby to stand on either side of it. When the door's lock finally clicked, and the door swung open, Yang was prepared. She grabbed Violet by the shoulders and pushed her to the chair, forcing her to sit down in it so that she was boxed in on all sides by the other members of team Vibrant.

"Explain. Now."

Violet raised a hand to rub the back of her neck, eyes sweeping across the three figures towering over her, "Starting to get flashbacks here. At least _now_ I've got the window."

Blake pulled the drapes shut.

Violet sighed and shook her head with a small smirk, "Where do I start?"

"How long have you been going out on these little night missions with Qrow?" Yang asked, directing a no-nonsense glare at her team leader.

"Tonight was the first," Violet shrugged, "Next question?"

"Were you ever planning on tell us?" Ruby asked timidly.

Violet paused for a moment, then shook her head, "I would have let Qrow take the credit. I didn't want you all to worry."

"Well, we're worried now," Blake stated flatly, arms crossed to mimic Yang. Her composure dropped slightly, "Did you… have to kill him?"

Violet flicked herself, causing a small portion of her fading aura to ripple outward briefly, "I would have died instead, if I hadn't. He _wasn't_ trying to take me _captive_ , that much is for sure."

"What happened to the building?" Yang jumped back in.

Violet brought up a foot to lay it across her other knee, then idly began picking away at some of the dirt and grime stuck to the bottom. She seemed hesitant to answer, and it wasn't until Yang activated her right gauntlet before Violet spoke, "Torchwick set up a trap. He must have known we were coming and emptied out the warehouse. I didn't go inside so I can't be sure, but I doubt there was anything left in there. Qrow… went in to take out what we _thought_ was one of the guards. They uh… blew the building up."

"And he got away?" Ruby eyes widened in panic for her uncle, and confusion, "How?"

Violet continued picking away at the bottom of her shoe. Her eyes flickered up to Yang and back down again, "I'm… not sure about that one. I thought he was dead too, til he got back anyway."

"What was that portal thing?" Yang narrowed her eyes, "Could that have been what saved him in the first place? He kind of just… walked out of it."

Violet shrugged, "Beats me. Someone's semblance, maybe? I've never seen any red portals."

"Is that the truth?" Blake asked seriously. They had all been around their leader long enough to spot that _something_ was off in the way she had replied.

Violet raised her eyes up to Blake and nodded, her expression unreadable, "I promise I've never seen that in my life."

"Were you just going after Torchwick? I don't see why we couldn't have helped if that was all you were after," Yang added suspiciously.

"Like I said earlier, we don't know when Amber is going to die. Qrow and I were trying to find her attacker through Torchwick. She has to still be in the city somewhere, all we needed to know is where."

Blake frowned, "What makes you so sure? Couldn't that person just wait for Amber to die on her own to get the rest of the power?"

Violet shook her head, "I doubt that very much. Murderers aren't usually the 'patient' type. Tonight was further proof of that, though what she'll do now is up in the air."

"What do you mean?"

"Mercury, the guy from the diner… He matches the description of one of the people Qrow saw when he rescued Amber."

Ruby gasped, "Do you think they were after _you?_ "

Violet laughed, "Not because I'm a maiden," her expression sombered, "Mercury was caught completely off guard when he found out I was a was one. If they'd known, then Amber's attacker would have come along to try and take my power as well."

"Do you think there were any witnesses tonight?" Blake asked quietly.

Violet's eyes dropped once more, and she shook her head, "If there were… they didn't let themselves be seen," she shrugged dejectedly, "No way to be sure, really."

Yang strode the few steps forward that separated her from their leader and planted her hands on Violet's knees, leaning in close so that her face was only inches away. Violet leaned back warily, eyes flickering off to the side to avoid Yang's intense gaze.

"When's the next mission?" the blond demanded.

"Not for a while," Violet replied carefully, seeming to choose her words, "I told Ozpin about Siren. He's making Glynda help them with team tactics as well so that they can join us next time… Qrow and I aren't going to run off on our own again."

"You'll include us in all your plans?" Yang raised an eyebrow.

Violet raised a hand to her chest and drew a symbol in the air, "Cross my heart. No more secrets. Violet Regalia is an open book from now on."

"You'd better be," Yang warned, a slight growl to her throat, "I won't hold back next time."

"Yes, ma'am," Violet smirked.

Yang retreated back to resume her position, arms crossed, and gave a satisfied nod despite the pit in her stomach. She couldn't help but feel like their leader was still withholding information from them, ' _Please keep that promise, Violet…_ '

Violet's eyes caught on to something on Ruby's desk, causing her to glance at Blake, "You're letting Ruby borrow the book?"

Blake nodded, "She said she'd take care of it. Is that okay?"

Violet's eyes drifted off for a moment before firming, "Yeah. That's fine," she gave Ruby a smile, "I hope you enjoy it, Little Red."

"Me too!" Ruby managed to show some small elation before deflating, "I hope you aren't lying, Violet… If you ran off on your own and never came back…"

Yang could see the tears that Ruby was choking back, likely thinking about her mother, Summer. Before Yang could move over to her though, Violet had already crossed the short distance to envelope Ruby in a hug of her own.

"I will _always_ come back, Ruby. No matter what happens, I'll _keep_ that promise," she pulled back out of the hug to share a reassuring smile and tapped a finger playfully to Ruby's nose, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Ruby giggled quietly and rubbed a sleeve across her eyes to wipe away the tears that had gathered there, giving a bubbling, "Good!" before Violet returned to her chair.

Blake shifted her stance, hip out to the side with her hand on it while she looked down at Violet, "What were your plans with Tukson?"

"Eh, we were going to have team Coffee escort him to Menagerie, then use your dad to get into contact with Sienna Khan. There's no way she knows about the White Fang in Vale working with someone like Torchwick. We thought it would be good insurance. Take away part of his support structure to weaken him and the others that we're after."

Blake placed her other hand to her chin, thoughtful, "You're right. It doesn't really make sense… Adam leads the Vale branch. He would _never_ work with a human like Torchwick, and he's more than capable of holding his own against that fool."

"Maybe they're a new branch… or maybe someone else was able to convince him to go along with it? We don't know what they're ultimate goal is, after all," Violet shrugged, "Not many people know about the maidens. Whoever attacked Amber is definitely higher up in the food chain."

While Blake was left in thought, Violet raised a questioning eyebrow in a slow sweep across each of them, "If that's all you wanted to ask…?" she yawned and covered it with the back of her hand, "It's pretty late, and we _do_ have Oobleck's test tomorrow…" Violet looked down at her combat outfit, "I'm also _filthy_. Can we call it a night?"

The three girls exchanged glances amongst each other.

"Is that everything?" Ruby asked finally.

A grin crossed Violet's face, as if their leader was thinking of a joke that only she knew the punchline to, "I'll be sure to let you know if I think of anything else important."

Yang sighed and pulled off her Ember Celicas to set them on her desk before beginning to change back into her sleepwear, "If I fail tomorrow then it's _your_ fault."

Violet gave Yang a smug smile, "If that's the case, you wouldn't mind if I checked your account level on that fighting game you're always playing, right? I bet you were studying the entire time I was gone and it hasn't gone up in the slightest."

' _No, because I played offline with Blake,_ ' Yang lifted her chin, "Of course not. It hasn't gone up at all."

"Riiiight," Violet laughed, calling her bluff. Instead of bothering to power on the gaming system though, she grabbed a towel and her night clothes before stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind herself.

Ruby narrowed her eyes in a silent accusation against Yang before also beginning to change. Blake was looking at the bathroom door, and back to the book now sitting on Ruby's desk, ears flattened. She sighed and also began to change before hopping back up into her top bunk and sitting with her knees drawn up against her chest.

"Are you going to stay up?"

Blake spared her a glance, "I'm thinking about it…"

"It might be best to wait until tomorrow. Let everything cool off, ya know? We still need to go to the gym in the morning."

Blake pouted, "Can't we skip a day?"

Somewhere deep down, the question hurt, though Yang couldn't quite figure out why. She raised her hands, palms facing upwards, "I could make an exception. You'll have to work twice as hard next time, though." The evil grin on her face was a clear sign that she wasn't kidding.

Blake hesitated, then nodded firmly, "I'll be ready for it. Show me what you're made of, Xiao Long."

"Oh, I _plan_ on it, kitty cat" Yang smirked, crawling into her bunk beneath the faunus, "If you thought fifty pounds on each limb was bad… Just you wait."

Blake audibly shivered, "Ruby, my will is locked in my desk drawer. I'm leaving you everything if your sister works me to death."

Ruby climbed up into her own bunk and pulled the covers tightly around herself, "I'll be sure to let your parents know."

Yang could no longer see her faunus teammate, but could hear the slight quaver in her voice, "I need to call them again. It's been a couple weeks now…"

"Don't forget we're going to see my and Ruby's old man on Sunday. We can give your parents a call before we head out to Patch!"

"I wouldn't mind introducing you two to them," Blake admitted with a sigh, "I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

"I can't wait!" Ruby piped up cheerily, "Are they both, uh…" Yang could see Ruby raise her hands up to her head, mimicking a second set of ears.

"They're both cat faunus, yes," Blake replied dryly, "But not every cat faunus has extra _ears_ , Ruby."

"Oh," Ruby gave her a sheepish grin, "Sorry."

"... My mom does, though."

Ruby's eyes lit up, despite making her best efforts to hide her excitement. Yang had to agree, even if she wouldn't say it out loud. ' _Cat ears_ _ **are**_ _adorable._ '

Yang stifled a yawn, "Goodnight, ladies."

"Goodnight Yang! Goodnight Blake!"

"Sleep tight. I'll make sure Violet and I keep it down, or go outside to talk."

"Thanks, kitty cat."

"Yang…"

"Yes~?"

"... Don't call me that in front of my parents, okay?"

"Awww, are you warming up to it finally~?"

Yang giggled after a few seconds when Blake refused to respond, then rolled over, feeling some of her earlier hurt at Blake's request ease, "I'll be sure to only call you Blakey when they're around."

Blake groaned, replying in a sigh of defeat, "At least that's less embarrassing."

"Feel free to call me whatever you want~"

"I think I'll stick with Yang for now."

Yang laughed, hugging her blanket tightly as she closed her eyes, "Whatever works for you, kitty cat."

' _Whatever works for you…_ '

* * *

Violet decided to draw herself up a bath instead of a shower. She added in some of her more fragrant soaps, coalescing into a thin layer of foam and bubbles that floated across the top before she lowered herself into it slowly, feeling the heat go straight through her skin.

Violet relaxed, taking a deep breath once she was finally submerged beneath the water's surface, her neck and head the only thing left exposed above the foam.

' _So… Mercury and Emerald are dead…_ ' Violet quietly pondered how things might go from there, ' _I've basically stopped Cinder's plans in their tracks. I doubt that's enough to keep her at bay indefinitely, though. She can't join Beacon with only her and Neo on a team, but she still has the White Fang at her disposal, along with Adam and Torchwick._ '

There was also the entire issue of Salem's other lieutenants that might factor into the equation. If the Grimm Queen believed Cinder was out of her depth, there was no telling what reinforcements she might send along.

' _Watts never seemed like the fighting type to me, but he's already done his part with the virus. I guess there isn't much reason for her to use it now… They won't be able to set up the Vytal tournament the same way, but the Breach could still happen..._ '

Violet had no clue what Tyrian and Hazel were up to around this time. She'd specifically avoided peeking in on any of them during her earlier years before Beacon. Doing so would only ruin what surprises there might be in the future. She was tempted now, but quickly ignored that train of thought, ' _I'll take them on as they show up, whether that's at Beacon or sometime in the future doesn't matter to me._ '

Violet began to wash herself clean, hearing a chorus of 'goodnights' from the other side of the door. If she had to venture a guess, she'd say Blake intended on staying up to talk about the book. Violet had been hoping to avoid it for the night and perhaps speak with her about it tomorrow, but that would just be delaying out of her own fears.

Violet's own earlier self-reflection came back, the quiet calm of the bath serving to let her mind wander. Her trepidation of what Blake might say about 'the goddess' was getting the better of her.

' _Am I selfish?_ ' Violet silently stewed, diverting her full attention to the question, ' _I do everything I can for my team… for Siren…_ '

Violet had always held the 'main characters' of any world she created up on a pedestal, her desire to help them always getting the better of her. While she was busy doing that in Beacon though, the faunus were still being discriminated against, dying in the Schnee mines or on the Menagerie frontier.

' _The grimm kill people every day, and I don't do anything about it._ '

But wasn't that part of the allure of life? If the world was a utopia, then everyone would end up being as bored as Violet had been. Drama and heartache made life actually worth living, even if her creations couldn't always see that. Taking the bad with the good meant that those happy moments were even more precious in comparison.

But would Blake agree? That was the real question, and the one that was causing Violet the most anxiety currently. Blake was an activist, all things considered. Her time spent in the White Fang spoke the truth of that. Violet couldn't imagine the faunus seeing the positive in any of the faunus's hardships.

' _It isn't as if I targeted them on purpose… That's just how it was in the show…_ ' If Violet had changed that harsh truth of the world, then what guarantee would she have had to ever meet Blake at Beacon? ' _She might not have even learned how to fight at all._ '

Was that part of the reason she was so defensive of faunus in the first place? ' _Do I feel guilty for not fixing the world and making it a better place for the faunus?_ ' With a few silent minutes to think that question over, Violet finally came to the conclusion that it was the truth. While the humans had it bad fighting the grimm, the faunus had it worse having to deal with both.

Violet finished up with her bath and dried herself off before pulling on her night clothes. She could practically sense Blake getting ready, the sound of the bath draining a clear indication that Violet was about to head out. With a hand on the doorknob, she took one last deep breath and stepped out into the dark room.

Blake raised a hand from where she sat atop her bed, a small smile curling her lips as she whispered quietly, "Hey. Took you long enough."

"I had a building explode right next to me," Violet replied with a smirk, "Do you know how hard it can be to get rubble out of your hair?"

"I do, actually," Blake admitted with a shy laugh, "The White Fang could be pretty extreme some times."

"You're going to have to tell me about your adventures at some point," Violet sighed, "I feel like I missed out on all the good stuff."

Blake's brow furrowed, "Sleeping in a damp tent in the woods and dealing with ticks," her mouth twisted into a grimace, "The recruiters don't mention _that_ when they're urging other faunus to join the fight."

Violet's eyes drifted over the sleeping forms of both Yang and Ruby before she nodded towards the door, "Did you want to take this outside? I could use a walk."

Blake hopped off her bed and landed lightly on the floor. They both slipped on their shoes before heading out, Violet leading the way towards the stairs and down out the front door. Part of her was still wanting to put off their conversation as long as possible, and decided on the Beacon cliff as a suitable distance to allow her nerves to calm.

Blake raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless followed Violet out through the small copse of trees that separated Beacon from the cliff edge. As they stepped out near the ledge, a chilling wind whipped from overtop the Emerald Forest, rippling their clothes.

Blake raised her hands to hold her forearms and shivered, "Maybe there's someplace better?"

Violet laughed and sat down in the grass, sitting cross-legged. She patted the ground next to her and waited for Blake to sit before setting her hand down against the grass. When Violet raised it back up, amethyst flames followed along, creating a small bonfire between the two of them that produced enough heat to warm their skin, but otherwise left the grass itself unblemished.

"Guess there's more than a few perks that come along with being a maiden," Blake admitted, leaning closer to the flames and rubbing her hands together over them.

Violet smiled, gaze drifting up to the shattered moon. It hung serenely in the sky, casting a pale white light across the entire forest. Her eyes remained fixated on the moon as she spoke, "So, what'd you think of the book?"

"I loved it!" the faunus exclaimed readily.

Violet's eyes flicked to Blake's, "Really? What did you like most?"

"I really liked it as a creation myth," Blake sighed, "The idea that there's a goddess out there is… reassuring, in a way. Even if I really can't see eye to eye with her."

"What didn't you agree with?"

"I mean, what's boring about having absolute power?" Blake tilted her head, "You could do so many things with it!"

Violet laughed, "Sure. What about after that, though?"

"After what?"

"After you _did_ all those things. I don't think you're really taking eternity into account. What would _you_ do with omnipotence?"

"First thing?"

"Sure."

Blake shrugged, "That's easy enough. I would save the faunus. Put an end to the grimm. Make the world a better place."

Violet nodded along, "And in the next one hundred years?"

"The next hundred…?" Blake put a finger to her chin, "Make up some new creatures. Turn Menagerie into a tropical paradise. Maybe make a new continent altogether?"

"And in the next thousand? The next million? The next billion?"

Blake made a small 'hmm' sound, "I think I see what you mean."

"It's pretty daunting, when you put it into perspective," Violet agreed with a nod, " _I_ feel old and I'm only seventeen. Imagine being older than the literal _stars_ …"

Blake laughed, "I _would_ ask her what happened to the moon."

"You'd need a genie to answer that question."

"Genies grant _wishes_ , Vi."

"Heh, _right_. My mistake," Violet stifled a chuckle and instead continued the conversation, "What else did you think about it?"

"She… reminded me of someone," Blake replied slowly, turning an eye to Violet, "...Did you write it?"

Violet felt a moment of panic that was washed away after hearing Blake's actual question, and raised her hands as if under arrest, "Guilty as charged, Belladonna. What gave it away?"

"She's just so like you, I guess. The name was different, but the way the goddess acted was the same. You have the same sense of humor, the same _dumb_ jokes…" Blake's eyes warmed, looking at Violet, "The same kindness and desire to put the weight of the world on your shoulders… Why did you do it, Violet? Why lie and leave us in the dark like that? What if we hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye?"

Violet laid back, resting on the grass and folding her hands over her stomach while she stared unblinkingly at the moon, "I… care about all of you. Thinking about any of you getting hurt is more than I can bear sometimes. I don't mind it when we're fighting grimm, or taking down the average schmuck… I know you can handle yourselves in that situation. I thought we'd be fine taking on Torchwick, but then that whole accident at the docks happened, and it opened my eyes, in a way. I came face to face with the very real possibility that you all might die…"

Blake sighed, looking down on Violet, "We care about _you_ , too. You shouldn't try and do everything yourself, Vi. How would Vibrant go on without you? We'd just be YBR at that point, and Yang's skills as a leader are _dubious_ at best."

Violet laughed, "She could handle it."

"Morning workouts would become mandatory," Blake's lips quirked into a slight smile, " _and_ evening workouts."

"You'd probably get pretty good at that fighting game she's always playing."

"Hey, I can hold my own well enough already!" At a raised eyebrow from Violet, Blake's eyes darted off to the side, "Alright, maybe I haven't won a round yet… but I've gotten _close_. I'm surprised she's never gotten _you_ to play it with her."

"Isn't really my thing," Violet replied honestly. Video games held no allure. They lacked any real stakes, making them boring, and that was the worst insult the goddess could use to describe something.

Blake's mood became somber once more, "Ruby would be inconsolable…"

Violet grimaced, "I know… I'm sorry about what I did, and I _won't_ do it again. You have my promise on that one. Even so, I'll be taking a lot more precautions from here on out. Qrow and I got ahead of ourselves, trying to take them on so soon."

"He almost died, from the sounds of it," Blake turned a suspicious eye to Violet, "You know how he was saved, don't you?"

Violet lay there in silence for a few seconds, considering what to say. Without Yang there, and with Blake's affinity for keeping secrets, Violet figured it would be fine to confess that much to the faunus.

"I do. You'll have to ask Qrow if you want to know more, though. It isn't my place to say."

"Was it a semblance?"

Violet nodded, content to leave it at that.

' _I'll have to give Raven a little leeway if I ever run into her. She might be the world's shittiest mom, but she did save Qrow from_ _ **my**_ _mistake._ '

"A lot of the worlds that the book talked about were really detailed. How'd you think of them?"

Violet chuckled, "Overactive imagination, I guess. I didn't have many friends growing up, so outside of lessons and training, I had a lot of time on my hands. All I had to keep me company were my parents, Henna, and my brother."

"You don't talk much about your brother."

Violet shrugged from her place on the ground, "What is there to say? Peri is nice enough. He takes after my dad a lot. He's studying in Atlas to take over the family business some day."

"Are you going to tell your parents about what happened tonight?"

"Of course not," Violet replied evenly, "It wouldn't matter anyway. They know I wouldn't come back to Atlas. My mom made sure for herself that being a huntress was what I really wanted. She knows my heart is set on it. All I'd be doing is making them worry."

"What about being a maiden? What if someone tries to get to you through them?"

' _Then whoever was foolish enough to try would find out pretty quick what the true meaning of 'omnipotence' is._ '

Violet shook her head, "They're so far out of reach for anyone here. If they tried… I'd make them envy Mercury."

Blake was silent for a time, considering the words Violet had said, "How _are_ you holding up, by the way? That couldn't have been easy..."

Violet grimaced, "It wasn't, but what choice was there? As far as I knew, Qrow was dead, and help wasn't coming any time soon. I had to deal with him any way I could."

"I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Me too. I'm just glad that Qrow made it out alright. I… didn't know how I was going to break the news to Ruby and Yang."

Blake paled, "I didn't really think of it that way. He showed up in our room about a minute after the explosion, so the thought of him being dead never really crossed my mind."

"I hope the same goes for Ruby and Yang. I wouldn't want them worrying about him too."

"Well, now they'll be able to make sure he stays safe, right? With all of us _and_ Siren along, there isn't much we can't handle."

"Unless Torchwick gets the better of us again. They've stolen a _lot_ of dust. He could probably blow up a few more buildings and have plenty to spare."

Blake laid back against the grass as well, sighing in contemplation at the risks they were bound to be taking, "It'll certainly be dangerous, but I'm glad we'll be doing it together."

Violet turned her head to the side, looking into Blake's amber eyes, "...Me too." Blake returned the gaze, both growing silent for the moment. Violet could see the faunus's face flickering uncertainly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to.

' _Now's the time... Do I let this continue? She was overall positive about me, whether Blake thinks I based the goddess off myself or not…_ ' Violet's mind wandered back to earlier in the evening, in the few short moments after killing Mercury before Qrow had made himself known, ' _I thought I'd lost him, and even that wouldn't compare to losing one of my teammates… How bad would it be if I fell for Blake, only for her to die…?_ '

Violet could already feel her own trepidation and self-doubt clawing its way to the surface, the worst thoughts and ideas of how it could all go wrong rushing to the forefront and demanding her attention. Violet shivered in panic, her heartbeat becoming more and more rapid now that the time to decide was finally upon her.

' _I'd rather fight Mercury again instead of this…_ '

Violet forcefully calmed herself, breathing deeply, ' _It's… a simple question. Do I like Blake?_ ' As a teammate and friend, it didn't even need to be asked. Violet would do anything for those she was close to. Did Blake go beyond that, though? ' _Or am I too afraid of disappointing her to say 'no'?_ '

Violet enjoyed being around anyone that could provide her with the excitement that she so desperately craved. Blake was a good contender, all things considered. She was fun to be around, and had her secrets and dark past that threatened to boil to the surface. Adam was a near constant thread of worry.

' _But that's all it is… I'm protective of her, of all of them,_ ' her feelings for Blake didn't stem from a love _of_ Blake, only a desire to keep her teammates happy. Violet had only agreed to try because Ruby demanded it, and she would have felt bad saying 'no'...

Blake finally got her mouth working, coughing once into her hand. Violet could see her cheeks beginning to redden in the pale light, her eyes hesitating to remain on Violet's own, "Violet? I've wanted to ask you something for a while now…"

In that final moment, Violet made her decision.

"I… know what you want to ask, Blake. You and Yang haven't exactly been the most _secretive_ in your attempts, and… Ruby told me that you like me," when Blake's ears lowered, Violet held her hand out, now holding Blake's. Her hands were soft and warm, but there was a slight tremble there. Violet's heart wrenched with guilt, but she decided to power through all the same. What sort of relationship could be built around her feelings?

"Ruby convinced me to give it a shot and see how I felt, so don't blame her for anything… I… I love you, in the same way I love Yang, and Ruby, and all of team Siren. I can't bear the thought of _disappointing_ any of you… but... I don't feel the same way you do. I've never felt that way about… anyone, really."

' _An eternity spent with a lie wouldn't have been good for either of us…_ '

Blake's ears drooped completely, her hand quivering in Violet's grasp, " _Oh_ … Do you… Do you think that would ever change?" her breath hitched as she rolled closer, now partially on her side.

Violet sighed, "There's nothing I wouldn't do to make you happy, Blake… Even now… I'd be willing to try, but…"

"But _you_ wouldn't be happy…" Blake nodded sadly, turning to stare up into the night sky, blinking back tears, "I don't want to force you into anything, Violet. That wouldn't be fair of me to ask."

Violet leaned across the intervening space, much to Blake's surprise. The faunus froze in place as she planted a gentle kiss on her cheek and pulled back, "I'm sorry it didn't work out, Blake. I really did try…"

Blake shivered and gripped Violet's hand more tightly before finally letting go, "I know you did. I wouldn't have expected anything less from you, Violet. You're… the best person I've ever met."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. I'm still your leader, after all."

Blake shared in a small smile, sighing as well, "This isn't going to make things awkward, is it?"

Violet laughed quietly, "Not at all, 'kitty cat'. I'm glad our feelings are out in the open like this. Now you can move past it and find who you were _really_ meant to be with."

"I suppose so…" Blake's eyes drifted off for a moment before shaking herself back into the present, "Wait, you mean _Yang_ , don't you?"

Violet gave Blake a coy grin and shrugged, "Who knows? Just follow your heart," she sat up, turning her head around, "For now, though, I think it's time we get some sleep. _I_ might not have any problems with Oobleck's test tomorrow, but _you_ need all the rest you can get, and we're a few hours past due."

Violet stood and held a hand down to Blake, who took it readily enough. Using a portion of her semblance, Violet reduced Blake's mass completely, surprising the faunus by pulling her quickly up into a hug. Blake was shocked still for a few seconds, but slowly melted into the embrace, hands gripping tightly against Violet's back and cheek pressed to hers.

"This doesn't change anything between us, Blake. I still want to help you with the White Fang, _and_ make the world a better place for the faunus. I don't think any less of you just because we aren't together. If you _ever_ need _anything_ … all you have to do is ask."

"...Thank you, Violet."

The two pulled away, mutually ending the embrace, and began the walk back to their dorms. They spoke a bit more along the way, though the topics were more typical. Things that two friends and teammates would discuss, as opposed to lovers. After arriving back at their room and getting into bed, they wished each other goodnight.

Violet rolled into her blanket and closed her eyes, facing the wall on her side of the room. As exhausted as she was, there was still one thing that needed to be done tonight. With a slight sigh, the goddess let her body drift off while her spectral form rose above.

' _Now then… what is dear old Cinder up to…?_ '


	26. The Half Maiden

Violet arrived in her spectral form among the nervous bustle of the White Fang. The large warehouse buzzed with activity, faunus running to and fro in an attempt to appear as busy as possible. Cinder sat on a crate near the edge of the room, legs crossed and her back turned to a map of Vale along with the surrounding area. Her arms were folded, finger tapping impatiently against her forearm as she glared at Roman before her. The thief shrunk beneath that gaze, his eyes darting from side to side, both apparently waiting for something.

"I-I'm sure Neo will be here soon enough," Roman said with much less bravado than he usually possessed, "And she'll have your two henchmen in tow… just you wait."

"I am _tired_ of waiting, Roman," Cinder growled, fingers stopping to grip her forearm tightly, "You had better hope your little pet shows up soon."

' _You're going to be waiting a long time if you think those two are still alive,_ ' Violet smirked, getting at least some enjoyment out of Cinder's current mood. The 'woman' was a menace planning to slaughter all the citizens in the city. Violet's empathy was sorely lacking as far as Cinder was involved.

After a few minutes of Cinder becoming increasingly more and more impatient, Roman's scroll finally buzzed, setting off a jingle that sounded suspiciously like an ice cream truck's. Roman exhaled deeply and pulled it out, sliding it open to read the message sent by Neo. His eyes widened, hand shaking for a moment before he recovered and typed out a response.

" _Well?_ " Cinder's eye began to burn as her frustration reached its boiling point.

Roman's face relaxed, breathing out a small sigh of relief, "Their mission was a success. More huntsmen arrived so they were forced to flee, but Neo managed to help them escape. They're headed back now and should be here very soon."

' _What!?_ ' Violet stared at Roman in confusion, ' _I obliterated Emerald, and there's no chance in this world, or_ _ **any**_ _other, that Mercury survived…_ '

Cinder relaxed slightly, though not by much, "Those _idiots_. Can anyone identify them? We'll need to get started soon if so. I'm not jeopardizing my plan over random _chance_."

"Neo didn't mention it. I suppose you'll have to speak with them yourself," Roman perked back up into his usual demeanor and began swinging his cane on his finger, giving Cinder a coy grin, "I told you my plan would work. That's one less 'S' tier huntsman at Ozpin's disposal, _and_ the thorn in my side is gone. Very fortunate, don't you think?"

"It was a small issue on the grand scale of things. Our ultimate goal will be easier, now," Cinder agreed.

' _What is going on?_ ' Violet's spectral brow furrowed as she placed a hand to her chin in thought, ' _Did Emerald just make me think I'd killed them? That isn't really possible. She had no clue that I was a maiden, as far as I'm aware. She couldn't have replicated my powers the exact same way I meant to use them…_ '

Violet returned to staring at Roman more closely, noticing the slight grimace to his smile. The corner of his mouth dipped minutely whenever Cinder turned her head away, and returned once more the instant her focus was once more on him.

' _He's lying…_ ' Violet's eyes roamed over those present, eyeing the faunus and their overall surroundings. Movement at the corner of the building caught her eye. She turned in time to see a door swinging shut of its own volition, ' _Neo… What are you…?_ '

All at once, it clicked in Violet's mind, ' _They think Cinder is weak without her lackies. They're going to try and betray her!_ '

Roman's eyes flicked to the door as well, then returned to Cinder before the half maiden could see him glancing in that direction. The dapper thief smiled slyly and stopped spinning his cane in order to lean on it instead, "You know, you never explained where Neo and I fit into this grand scheme of yours. Once our usefulness is over with, then what? We part ways and never see each other again?"

Cinder smirked, raising an eyebrow. She appeared to almost stare him down from atop her box, despite Roman standing nearly a foot taller, "Oh, Roman. Who says that I won't have use for you once Vale has been dealt with? There _are_ three more kingdoms, after all. I wouldn't want to waste good talent~"

Roman pretended to check his nails despite wearing gloves. "I _am_ rather amazing," he gloated, giving a slight head bow and tipping his hat in Cinder's direction. "Oh!" Roman raised a finger as if he'd just thought of something important.

Cinder's attention was wholly devoted to the thief in the instant that Neo took his signal and attacked. Her bladed parasol struck out towards the base of Cinder's neck in an attempt to skewer her through the back of the throat. Neo appeared in the same instant, a manic grin clear on her face and eyes sparkling with the intent to kill.

The parasol's blade sparked off Cinder's aura, a brief flash of orange that rippled from the point of contact. Cinder narrowed her eyes and extended her hand out to point behind herself. An icy stalagmite erupted from the ground in an instant, spearing into Neo's stomach and knocking the small assassin backwards to pin her against the wall. The stalagmite crackled, still attempting to grow even as it pressed harder and harder. Neo's aura scattered outward in waves, her eyes widening in sheer terror.

"Neo!" Roman shouted. He had been about to attack as well, his cane raised in the air to fire a round at Cinder. He glared, grinding his teeth together as all that could be heard from Neo were the slight gasps of her breath being forced from her body. The ice continued to grind against her aura. Her face twisted in an intense pain that she could not express.

All of the White Fang members in the vicinity either froze in shock, or outright fled. The group ignored the sound of the door repeatedly slamming open as those that chose retreat ran out into the street.

Cinder glared right back, "You thought it _wise_ to try and attack _me!?_ " she fumed, hopping off the crate and striding up to Roman with her right eye blazing, "Perhaps you _have_ outlived your usefulness."

The crate that Cinder had been sitting on shook in place, rattling with a dull thump that only Violet seemed to notice. Roman and Neo were too preoccupied with their imminent death.

' _What did you already bring into Vale, Cinder?_ '

"Wait!" Roman let his cane swing back down to point at the floor, now limply held in his hand, "Can you really blame us? We can still serve a purpose!"

" _Can_ you?" Cinder quirked an eyebrow and sneered, "What _really_ happened to Emerald and Mercury?"

"Neo went to the scene! If you let her go, she can tell _me_ and I can tell _you!_ " Roman pleaded, hearing Neo's gasps cut off as all of the oxygen was finally expelled from her body. The small girl struggled futilely against the maiden powers holding her in place.

Cinder turned an eye to Neo with a menacing grimace. The point of the stalagmite retracted, instead contouring around her upper chest and stomach to keep her pinned, but able to breath. Neo gasped quietly, lungs straining to regain some of the oxygen that had been forced from her so brutally.

"Out with it, before I change my mind," Cinder threatened, a narrow tendril of ice spiking off the top section to point menacingly at Neo's throat, "Or the inability to speak will be the _least_ of your worries."

Neo glared at Cinder before looking to Roman. She raised her hands, mimicking holding a gun and pretended to fire it.

" _Charades?_ In _all_ your time together, you _never_ learned sign language?" Cinder scoffed in annoyance. She stepped to the side, allowing Roman a better line of sight to Neo's actions.

"A gun?"

Neo raised her hand high.

"A _big_ gun."

Neo nodded, then used her semblance to change her hair the same shade of purple as Violet's. She once again mimicked firing the gun, then changed her hair once more to be the color of Emerald's. Neo put her hands together in front of herself, then tore them apart as if showing off an explosion.

Roman paled, reaching up to tug nervously at the collar of his coat before answering Cinder's impatient frown, "It appears that _thorn_ in my side isn't as… righteous… as the rest of her fellow hunters."

"Explain."

Roman raised his hands, palms upward on either side in a gesture of defeat, "That 'Violet' girl uses a weapon like none I've ever seen before. It tore through the engine block of our getaway van _and_ the buildings behind it in a single shot. I thought she was bluffing when she threatened to use it on me… It sounds like our dear Emerald may have _called_ that bluff, and paid with her life."

Cinder ground her teeth together, "And Mercury?"

Both turned back to Neo, only for the small girl to frown in confusion and copy Roman's previous gesture. With body language alone, she clearly said, ' _I have no clue._ '

"What do you mean, 'I don't know'?" Roman demanded harshly, his voice rising a few octaves. Cinder's gaze narrowed further and her eye began to burn once more, "Was he _cut?_ Stabbed? Shot?"

With each guess, Neo shook her head 'no'. Roman continued guessing with mounting frustration, each time being answered in the same way by the small girl.

Cinder grew tired of their back and forth act, the ice expanding to cover the entirety of Neo's body aside from her head, and raising a hand in Roman's direction that was engulfed in brilliant red flames, " _Enough!_ "

Roman raised his hands as if to ward off the fireball, "Now Cinder, let's not get _hasty!_ Who else are you going to use if not us? Do you think _Adam_ won't try the same once _he_ finds out?"

Cinder stood with her hand raised and the fireball rotating in place. She stopped for the moment, appearing to take Roman's words into consideration.

' _He's right. I doubt Adam is at all willing to help Cinder at the moment. It's still fairly early, and a lot of his men have already died… Or is he as far gone as he was later in the show? He didn't mind those that were lost during the Breach..._ '

"My plans will have to change," Cinder said in a quiet, threatening tone, "Are you prepared to take on more responsibilities? You will have to, if I am to succeed."

"Hey," Roman adopted a hesitant smile, "I'm your guy. Whatever you need, I can handle."

In the silence, Roman and Neo finally noticed the shifting crate. Both retracted slightly, shying away as best they could. For Neo, that was to lean her head away. Roman nearly backpedaled a step before catching himself.

Cinder looked to the crate with a smirk, "I need to consult my Mistress," her eyes raised to those faunus that remained, a snarl twisting her features, "Out! _Now!_ "

The last of the White Fang members scattered, fleeing to the safety of the streets and escaping from the volatile woman. The door banged shut one final time, announcing that they were alone.

' _Except for me,' Violet grinned, 'This will be the first time I see Salem in… well, not in person, but close enough._ ' She had staunchly refused to drop in on the Grimm Queen's council meetings or activities for the last hundred years or so. It wouldn't due to have too much foreknowledge.

' _Now is different… I need to know what they're planning next, don't I?_ ' Violet let out an inaudible sigh as two parts of her conflicting nature battled it out, ' _There's a thin line between boredom and falling head first into a hopeless situation… I need to keep them all safe._ ' She nodded to herself solemnly, firming her resolve.

Cinder waved a hand and the crate cracked open. Immediately, long tentacles tipped with sharp bony appendages shot out of the wooden box towards the nearest human, Torchwick. He backpedaled in earnest, putting distance between himself and the coiling mass of spiky tentacles. The rest of the Seer grimm slowly followed, floating out of the crate and then further up into the air in pursuit.

Cinder raised a hand and the grimm halted in place, its tentacles immediately falling slack beneath it. Its entire body drifted up and down ever so slightly, the globe atop glowing with a dull orange light that shimmered beneath the surface. Cinder crooked a finger, and the Seer floated in her direction to stop in front of her.

The light inside twisted like mist, contorting itself for a few seconds before clearing. Violet leaned forward, getting a close eye on the Grimm Queen that stared out of the globe. She sat with her hands clasped on the stone table in front of herself, clearly within the throne room.

"A bit late in Vale to be making a call, don't you think?"

"It's urgent. Could you spare a moment of your time?"

"It will never be in short supply," Salem sighed, "So I suppose I could spare a few. What seems to be the problem, Cinder?"

It was the half maiden's turn to be nervous, "My… My henchmen were both killed on a mission. I'll need to change our plans if I am to reduce Beacon to rubble."

Salem's face contorted in disappointment, "That is unfortunate, but these things happen. A plan only lasts until first contact with the enemy, as they say. What resources remain at your disposal?"

Cinder turned to frown at Roman and Neo, "These two, along with the leader of the White Fang in Vale. I won't be able to sneak into Beacon like this."

"Indeed," Salem took a moment, pondering in a deep silence that no one was willing to interrupt, "What of the grimm? Are they still congregating outside the bounds of the city's detection?"

Cinder nodded, "We will need more for all of Vale to fall, but there is a sizable amount currently in position."

"How far along are the plans for the Breach?"

"The faunus have excavated much of the tunnel out. Only a few blockages remain, but they need to make repairs. The explosives are completed and awaiting use."

"And what use are you?" Salem's eyes took in Roman as if piercing to his very core.

The thief trembled, "N-Neo is excellent at infiltration, the best, even!"

"Did I ask what the benefits would be of keeping the _girl_ around? What use are _you_ , thief?"

"Neo wouldn't help you if you got rid of me!" Roman ushered out in a single breath, "Besides that, I know all the ins and outs of this city, and I'm better than most hunters in a fight."

"Were you not bested by _children?_ " Salem's lips quirked in a frown.

"W-we had them on the ropes until that bullhead crashed! If not for that, we would have left with the dust, _and_ more kills to our names!"

"Is that so…?" Salem muttered, voice thick with doubt, "Well, perhaps we will put your claims to the test," her eyes returned to Cinder, "Give the virus Watts created to her. If she is successful, then you may allow them to breath a while longer. Fair enough?"

Cinder nodded and reached into her pocket to retrieve a flash drive. A small opening appeared in the ice, melting away at that point and then steaming until it was dry. Neo winced at the heat but beared it. Cinder placed the flash drive into the front pocket of her jeans and stared up at Neo threateningly.

"Fail, and there will be _no_ more chances. I will force you to watch while I carve out dear Roman's heart. You don't want that, _right?_ " at a fervent nod from Neo, Cinder smiled smugly, "Good~"

The ice shattered, dropping Neo roughly to the floor, her parasol clattering to the ground nearby as she fell to her knees. Her aura flickered weakly, finally visible once more after being removed from her icy bindings. Her arms and legs trembled, whether from fear, anger, or pain, Violet wasn't sure.

Salem spoke once more, "We will wait until we have more information before deciding how our plans change. Until then…" the Grimm Queen shared a motherly smile with Cinder. It almost could have been heartwarming, if not for who she was, "Stay safe, my Maiden. This plan hinges on you."

"Yes, Mistress," Cinder bowed low as the swirling mass of orange light inside the Seer returned, obscuring Salem from view within its murky depths. The Seer lowered itself, sharp tentacles dragging on the floor menacingly as it retreated within its crate. Cinder shut it tightly.

"So, we're friends then?" Roman gave a nervous laugh.

Cinder glanced up sharply, the fire returning to her eye, "Make no mistake. You are walking a thin line, and _both_ sides will lead to death if you are not careful. Do not test me again, Roman."

"Gotcha!" Roman threw his hands up defensively, then looked to Neo, "Might as well get started on getting you into Beacon, eh? C'mon, Neo."

The small girl struggled to her feet after picking up her parasol and gave Roman a tired nod, refusing to look at Cinder again. As she stepped out of view, Violet could see the snarl contorting her face.

' _Careful, Cinder. I don't think Neo's quite on board after what you just did…_ '

Seeing that the conversation had ended, and Cinder had been left to stand in the warehouse by herself, Violet returned to her body. She floated down into herself, spectral limbs reconnecting. Her eyes opened and she glanced to the clock.

' _4:30… I'm really pushing it now,_ ' Violet sighed and rolled over to face the wall, bundling herself into her blanket.

' _In the grand scheme of things, I learned very little… Aside from Roman and Neo being on the fence about working with Cinder any more. I wonder if I could sway them? Offer them protection from Cinder as a 'full maiden' and learn her plans that way? I could always allow the Breach mission to begin and get to them that way… It's over a month away though... What happened between then and now…?_ '

Violet had to think for a second before the answer came to her, ' _Right, 'Painting the Town'... Are they going to go through with that plan? Will there even be any mechs?_ ' Violet turned over enough to look at the two teammates across from her, Blake and Yang, ' _We are going to be investigating anyway. I suppose we'll find out in due time, eh?_ '

Violet squelched the nervous unease that began to surface, warning her that she _needed_ to know, or risk losing the people she cared about once more.

' _...We'll get there when we get there…_ '

Violet shut her eyes tightly, refusing to think any more on the struggle that raged inside. In a few minutes, she was finally successful, and drifted off into a restless sleep.


	27. The Moon and the Sun

_Three moons sat high in the sky, each in separate phases of their cycle, all casting an unearthly pale but beautiful light down upon the white sands that She walked. Their light was reflected in the ocean's waves, the soothing sounds of the tide lulling all that would hear it into a supreme sense of calm. Ahead of her, a familiar figure. One that She would always remember. One that She had forced herself to forget. The girl's footprints left small indents in the sand, and She followed in them, readily waiting. The girl's long, grey hair swayed, shimmering in the moonlight in the way that She had hoped it would._

_The girl gave a delighted giggle, "Alright, you've really outdone yourself this time. The three moons is definitely a nice touch."_

" _I knew you'd like it," She grinned, happy that She had created something worthy of Her, "It took awhile to get them all situated that way. You have no idea how big of a pain things like gravity can be some times."_

" _Oh, I'm starting to get an idea," the girl laughed. She waved her hand above her head to create another group of stars in the night sky. The girl held her fingers up in a square as she inspected her own work. With a small frown, she licked her thumb and rubbed it in the air, wiping away a few of the stars that had been out of place._

" _So, what do you want to make next?"_

" _Hmmmm…." the girl put a hand to her chin in thought, then brought it forward in a snap, "Oh! Let's make a forest with some elves!"_

" _Elves? What is this, Middle Earth?" She chided playfully._

_The girl raised an eyebrow, a coy grin playing at her lips, "You can't tell me you'd say no to some busty elves~"_

_She smiled softly, a light tinge of red heating her cheeks, "Why would I need elves when I have-"_

The high pitched ringing of Ruby's alarm clock startled Violet awake. Her hand instinctively went to her own scroll, though she'd forgotten to set an alarm the night before. Violet blinked back the blur that had settled in her eyes, finally managing to check the time, then rolled back into her blankets with a grumble.

' _I was having a good dream, Ruby… Whatever it was about…_ '

* * *

Yang breathed out a sigh of relief as she finished off the final question for Oobleck's test. It had been long and full of what felt like trick questions. Blake had already turned hers in, and Ruby was nearly done with her final page as well. As always, Violet lounged off to the side, still half asleep from earlier in the day, looking for all the world like the test had been anything but difficult.

Violet had been joined shortly after by Weiss, with none being surprised. The heiress was by far the most studious of their year, followed by Pyrrha and Ren. Between their two teams, Nora was the only one aside from Ruby that hadn't finished yet. Looking around, Yang could see that quite a few others in their year seemed to be struggling with the test.

' _When you have Violet or Weiss as your team leader, there's little hope for not getting history down to a T. The rest of you should have studied more._ '

Ruby hummed happily to herself as she got up with her test papers and handed them to Professor Oobleck. The green haired professor nodded his thanks and excused Ruby to go sit back down. Yang checked the clock. With only five minutes left until the bell rang, time was running short for Nora and the others in the class.

It appeared that Nora was well aware, as she began to scribble down her answers much more roughly. From her spot along the rows, Yang could see the bead of sweat running down her forehead, and the way she was holding her tongue out to the side in concentration.

Nora's movements slowed, eventually pausing completely as she stared at the last question on the exam. Her pen hovered over the paper, confusion palpable from the way her brow furrowed and lips curled into a frown. Violet glanced in her direction after checking on the clock, then turned away to cough into her hand.

Nora's eyes lit up, her pen resuming its inky crusade as she quickly scribbled down whatever she'd come up with for the final question and jumped up with a cheer, "Take _that_ , test! Nothing stops Nora!"

"Miss Valkyrie…" Professor Oobleck chided, but smiled when he held his hand out for the papers. Nora giddily skipped across to his desk and handed them in before returning to Ren's side. She sat shoulder to shoulder with him and rocked from side to side while swinging her feet back and forth.

Yang caught the small doting smile that Violet flashed, though she didn't turn back to look at Nora when she did it. Yang had been around Violet often enough to tell who it had been directed towards.

' _She really is 'Auntie Vi' at the end of the day…_ '

A constant point of confusion that morning had been the way Violet and Blake had been acting towards each other. Yang would have figured Blake would pop the question the night before, but if anything, the two seemed _more_ distant than usual. They were still being friendly with each other, but neither had even offered to hold the other's hand yet. ' _Surely they'd be going further than that if it was official…?_ ' Yang had only been in a few flings herself, and gone as far as to kiss a boy once, ' _gross_ ', but the way they were acting couldn't be _normal_.

Yang was pulled from her brief reverie by the bell ringing, signalling the end of second period. The majority of the class shot to their feet, a few glumly shuffling forward to turn in their incomplete papers. Yang joined Siren and the rest of team Vibrant as they all headed out into the hall, one big brightly colored group.

Violet stepped ahead and spun around to walk backwards, her hands clasped behind her back, "So, how'd everyone do?"

Weiss pompously raised her hand to her chest, "Perfectly fine, thank you."

"I was really struggling on that last one!" Nora admitted with a cheery smile, "But I remembered part of the book right when I thought I wouldn't get it!"

Violet smirked, "That was one of the easier questions~"

"What did you put down?"

Violet shrugged, "Captain Yoma said in his reports that he was captured while out on patrol. In reality, he was deserting his post for the night to hook up with a Mistralian prostitute he fancied in one of the taverns. The book probably said what was in his reports, though. I'm sure Oobleck will find it interesting."

"Are you sure you aren't making things up now?" Weiss crossed her arms with a huff, "How could you possibly know that."

"Yoma kept a journal before he was captured. It detailed all of his 'nightly exploits' and his plans to do it again the same night he was taken."

Weiss raised an eyebrow with a frown, "And where is this 'journal'? I've never heard of it."

"You can find a copy in the library," Violet shrugged once more, "I wouldn't recommend it, though. Not a very good read, even for a smut book."

The heiress's cheeks reddened, and she stammered accusatorially, "T-then why did _you_ read it!?"

Violet laughed, "Because history is important, _duh_. And the prostitute sounded like a real cutie~"

Yang frowned and glanced over to Blake to see her cheeks reddened as well, though unlike the offended stance that Weiss had taken, Blake was instead looking dejectedly off to the side. Yang sidled up next to her, falling into step with the faunus girl's pace.

"You okay, Blake? How did last night go?" Yang whispered the question, hoping to give the two of them a little privacy away from the loud din of the rest of the group.

"Not well. Violet… turned me down," Blake confessed with a heartfelt sigh. She crossed her arms as if to comfort herself and darted her eyes to Yang's, seeing the pity shown there, "She said Ruby talked her into giving it a shot in the first place… At least I got a week out of it, right...?"

"Did Violet say why?" Yang grumbled quietly. She was confused beyond belief that their team leader would turn down Blake like that. ' _What isn't there to like?_ ' The thought was frustrating, to say the least. Blake didn't deserve to be shot down!

Blake shrugged weakly, "Just that she didn't feel the same way I did. That she'd never felt that way about anyone… I played it off as well as I could, but it's still hard… ya know?"

Truthfully, Yang had always been the one turning others down, so she hadn't ever really experience it from Blake's point of view. Seeing the way she curled in on herself and seemed to have lost so much of her self confidence, though, was more than enough to get Yang's blood boiling.

"I'll talk to her," Yang promised with a fierce glower towards their leader's back, "I need to get to the bottom of this."

"No, Yang," Blake protested quietly, sending an uncertain glance in Violet's direction, "Violet _was_ nice about it. You said as much yourself, remember? 'Can you imagine Violet being anything but as nice as possible if she turns you down?' or something along those lines."

"Yeah, but I never thought she'd actually _do_ it," Yang argued back. Violet and Blake had seemed like such a sure deal, destiny in the works to draw together two people that were perfect for each other. Blake wanted someone she could feel safe around, and Violet wanted…

Yang frowned, ' _What does Violet want in another person…?_ ' On second thought, that had been a huge oversight on her part. She hadn't spent time with Violet like she had with Blake. Was there some secret to their leader's heart, something she searched for in others that Blake _had_ been lacking?

Yang's fist clenched tightly, ' _If there is, I'll make her tell me. Blake deserves better than an 'I'm just not into you that way' excuse. That's more like something I'd tell the guys back on Patch, not something you'd say to a sweet girl like Blake._ '

"Hang in there, kitty cat," Yang gave Blake a playful pat on the back, then firmed as she stepped past the rest of the group to Violet's side.

Her leader smiled when the blond fell into step next to her, "How'd you do on the test, Yang?"

"Not too bad. There were a couple things I wanted to go over with you, though. Do you mind heading back to the dorm with me for a minute instead of to lunch?" Yang noted with some satisfaction that they were about to pass the stairs. Now would easily be the best time to divert their course without drawing too much attention and let the rest continue on to the dining hall without them.

Violet looked over her shoulder to take in Blake's muted demeanor, and gave Yang a curt nod, "After you," her eyes swept across the rest and she gave them a cheery wave, "Yang and I will catch up. Save us a seat!"

Yang nodded her thanks and led the way back upstairs to their dorm room. It was on the highest floor at the very end of the hall, but despite the couple minutes that it took to walk there, Yang waited until they were safely in the comfort of their room before rounding on Violet.

"How could you say no to Blake!?" Yang planted her fists on her hips and tried to use her height to her advantage. Unfortunately, even being more than a few inches taller than Violet, she still didn't _feel_ taller.

Violet casually walked to her bed and sat down on the edge of it before patting the spot next to herself. When Yang refused to budge, she raised an eyebrow. When the blond continued her stony stance, Violet let out a gloomy sigh, "Suit yourself."

Violet leaned back against her hands, "Blake took a lot of the things I did for her out of context. Making her feel safe with her team, reconnecting her with her parents, not judging her for her shady past… I would have done the same for _any_ of you…" she shrugged dejectedly, "I don't _love_ Blake. Not that way, anyway."

"What's stopping you?" Yang asked with a bit more ferocity than she'd meant.

"Hmmmm…" Violet thought to herself quietly for a few moments before looking Yang in the eyes, "Tell me what _you_ like about her. Maybe it'll jog a few screws loose."

Yang gave a small 'hmph', before crossing her arms, "Where to start? Blake is a great fighter. She's really smart. The way she sits up in her bed when she reads is adorable. When her ears twitch, it's always really cute. I bet they're so _soft_. She's getting the hang of the fighting games we play, even though she didn't like them at first. We have the best chats in the mornings when we go to the gym. It's my favorite time of the day. Just the two of us, working out and talking about whatever's on our minds… She looks great in her combat outfit…" Yang frowned, realizing she'd been very clearly picturing a part of her teammate that she hadn't before then.

Violet seemed to catch on to the blond's internal struggle, "What is it about her outfit that you like~?"

"Th-that's not important," Yang could feel her cheeks heating, but tried to play it off as well as she could, "You _can't_ tell me all that isn't enticing."

"It is… for you," Violet replied with a small chuckle, "Sounds to me like Blake isn't the only one around here with a crush. Sure there isn't something you need to admit to _yourself_ , Xiao Long?"

"N-nope," Yang's eyes darted to the door and back to Violet in hesitation, "We really shouldn't keep the others waiting too long."

A tall wall of amethyst flames shot up from the floor to blanket the door, trapping Yang inside with Violet, "I think they can wait~"

Yang narrowed her eyes at the flames, "You wouldn't hurt me like that…"

Violet gave a hearty laugh, "No, I wouldn't. Nobody said anything about your _clothes_ , though. Walk out there and you'll be as naked as the day you were born. I'll be sure to lock the door behind you~"

Yang stared at her leader in wide-eyed horror, "You aren't a maiden… you're a _demon_."

Violet held her hands wide, palms upward, "I've been called worse. All you have to do is admit how you feel."

"I don't-!"

"Come on, Yang," Violet interjected easily, "No judgement here. You can be real with me."

Yang sighed, thinking back on the thing's she'd said, and the real truth that lay behind them. She hadn't even been able to admit it to _herself_ , yet. Even now, she knew it wouldn't work between the two of them. Blake liked Violet, ' _...not me…_ '

"It would never work. She's so caught up on _you_ …"

"And now I've set her free," Violet chastised with a playful smile, mimicking holding a fishing rod, "So grab your pole and cast that pickup line!"

Yang shook her head sadly, "How…" her eyes wandered back up to Violet's, barely able to meet them, "How could I measure up to _you?_ You've done so much for her, Violet… You're so charismatic… It's nice just being _around_ you… I'd only ever be second best…"

Violet scoffed and jumped to her feet to walk a circle around the blond, "Yang, Yang, Yang… How could someone as beautiful as you feel _inadequate_? So I helped her with a few issues she had… What's the big deal? Do you think we wouldn't have helped her with that as a team sooner or later? I just stuck my nose in early because I want everyone to be happy. You would have done the same, I guarantee it."

"But I didn't. I had no clue about any of that stuff!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you would have been just as supportive as I was. You care for Blake, in a way that _I_ never can. Blake doesn't need _me_. She deserves someone like _you_. I've never thought about the way she sits in bed, or fawned over the idea of touching her ears, or fantasized about her in her combat outfit..."

Yang's cheeks reddened and she held her hands up in denial, though Violet was currently behind her, "Fantasize is a _strong_ word."

Violet placed a hand on each of Yang's shoulders, thumbs kneading into the tensed muscles on her back, "You can't lie to me, Yang. You know me well enough to realize that I _won't_ be fooled, even when you're lying to _yourself_. I saw the potential for you and Blake so long ago… I've been waiting ever since. You two would be great together."

"Why would Blake settle for me...?"

Violet sighed in exasperation and spun Yang around to grab her around the shoulders and stared into her eyes, "What in the world makes you think she'd be settling at all in the first place?"

Yang fought back the heat beginning to burn in her eyes, held there by the fierceness of Violet's gaze, "Have you _met_ you, Violet!? I'll never escape your shadow!"

"My _shadow!?_ " Violet laughed, leaning forward against Yang before looking back into her eyes, "Yang, you're the _sun_. The only shadows that exist for you are the ones you _allow_. Look at you!" she gestured up and down the length of Yang's body, from the smooth skin of her exposed legs, up to her ample bosom, and finally to her reddening cheeks, "You're _to die_ for. Any girl in this world would be lucky to have you, and Blake is no different! She'll get over _me_ soon enough."

A small smirk played at Yang's lips, "Sure _you_ aren't hitting on me with compliments like that?"

Violet snorted, "You're more than I could ever handle, Xiao Long."

"Damn straight," Yang smiled, then sighed a few seconds later once the moment had passed. Her eyes rose back up to Violet's uncertainly, "You really think I've got a chance?"

Violet nodded, "Better than anyone else ever could. Give it a couple days maybe, but be there for her now. If she needs a shoulder to cry on, you. be. that. shoulder."

"And you aren't going to change your mind down the line…? What if you end up realizing your own feelings?"

Violet shook her head in amusement, "Not gonna happen," she spun Yang to face the door and slapped her on the backside, "Now get out there and conquer that kitty, Xiao Long!"

Yang flinched at the slap and dropped two hands down to defend herself, shooting Violet a glare before nodding her head back towards the door that was still wreathed in flames. Her voice shared none of the hilarity that Violet seemed to be feeling, "Forgetting something?"

Violet eyed the door, a coy grin on her face, "What, you thought that thing about your clothes was true? Don't be silly, Yang. I wouldn't do that to a friend~"

"Then you go first," Yang replied dryly, stepping to the side so that Violet could get to the door.

"Don't mind if I do~" Violet strolled past and whipped the door open. She walked through the frame without a moment's hesitation, and though the flames consumed her form for a second, she emerged on the other side, sans birthday suit.

Yang breathed out a sigh of relief and began to walk forward, but stopped as Violet grinned once more, "Did I mention there's no reason I couldn't make it leave my clothes perfectly fine, but still burn yours to ash in an instant?"

Violet laughed while Yang stoically refused to move further, a permanent disapproving frown etched on to her face. Eventually, she snapped her fingers and the flames withdrew, back into whatever fiery aether they came from in the first place. Yang certainly hadn't been about to take her chances with Violet's maiden powers, let alone her sense of _humor_.

The two of them headed to the dining hall to find it already packed with other students that had made it there well before them. Violet and Yang waited in line to pick out their food before heading over to Vibrant and Siren's usual table. Violet found a place to sit between Weiss and Nora, while Yang took the left over opening next to Blake at the end.

The faunus paused in idly stirring the food around on her plate to glance at Yang as she sat down, "So, what'd the two of you have to run off to the dorm for?"

"Ummm…" Yang gave a weak shrug, "Violet was giving me… life advice."

"Auntie Vi, at it again?"

Yang chuckled, "Yeah, pretty much. She had some interesting things to say."

"Did you get what you wanted out of it?"

She shook her head, "Not what I wanted… but what I needed, I think," Yang flashed a smile to the faunus, "Are you doing anything tomorrow before we go to the movies? I figure with Tucson leaving for Menagerie, you're going to need to find a new bookstore, right? We could go down and look for one together."

Blake began to shake her head, but then paused in the middle of it and gave Yang a long, considering look, "You… really want to?"

"Of course!"

Blake brightened somewhat and nodded, "Another pair of eyes wouldn't hurt. Any idea where you'd want to start looking?"

Yang placed a finger to her chin, "Oh, the shopping district is probably a safe bet. We can buy some new clothes while we're there!"

Blake smirked, "Sure you don't have any ulterior motives?"

Yang waved a hand dismissively, "Not at all! Your workout clothes are getting worn out. I'd hate for you to have a wardrobe malfunction in the middle of training~"

"Good point," Blake conceded, knowing for a fact how roughed up her clothes had become in only the last week's worth of having Yang as her personal trainer, "Did you want to invite anyone else?"

Yang glanced down the length of the table and shrugged, "Not really. It can be our fun little outing, just us two."

Blake shared a soft smile with Yang, "Sounds like fun. If I buy clothes, you're going to have to buy a book, though."

"Maybe they'll have something on workout strategies that I don't already know."

Blake giggled, "I'm positive they won't. Maybe you can pick out a book about something else, like knitting."

Yang snorted, "You know, you could just _ask_ me to keep a ball of yarn lying around."

Blake rolled her eyes, though she couldn't hide the slight twinge of a smile on her lips, "You're awful, Yang."

"You know it, kitty cat~"

* * *

Violet took sneak peeks down the table to where Yang and Blake sat. Seeing the two of them chatting, the slight shade of red on Yang's cheeks as she made suggestive remarks, the tinge on Blake's as she played them off… ' _Finally, something going how it's supposed to._ ' Among all the recent craziness that had happened, the sight of them together brought some measure of peace to her heart. Not _everything_ was out of her control.

Violet's gaze spread outward, taking in all of her friends, all of her classmates. She could feel her heart warming, seeing the smiles on their faces as they talked about what they were going to do for the weekend, about their troubles and offers from others to help.

' _You're all so precious to me…_ ' That warmth was devoured by the steadily growing pit in Violet's stomach. The thought that all of them would be going out with her and Qrow to fight Torchwick, to fight Cinder, and eventually even Hazel, Watts, Tyrian, or Salem herself… ' _I can't always keep you all in sight…_ '

' _...but I_ _ **can**_ _keep you all safe._ '

Violet's eyes flashed once, a brief brightening around the irises that went unnoticed by those around her, too caught up in their own conversations as they were. It was a simple enough use of her omnipotence, one made all the easier by the rules of the world itself.

' _If any of their auras break… I'll know._ '

And Violet would be there, no matter where or who it was, no matter what she'd been in the middle of at the time, to make sure those she cared for didn't fall prey to her own lack of foresight.

' _I'm not losing anyone… not again._ '


	28. Slim Margins

After lunch, the two teams made their way to the final class of their first semester, Miss Goodwitch's combat class. There was a general air of excitement surrounding the students as they all filed into the large half-circle stadium. Unlike Port's or Oobleck's classes, Goodwitch didn't assign grades. Instead, each student would be assigned a ranking based on their performance during their spars during the year.

Violet sat down in the middle and leaned forward against the railing, propping her head up with her hand. Her team took up the spots next to her while Siren sat behind them, all eagerly keeping an eye on the large holographic display currently appearing blank behind Glynda, who stood down on the stage watching the students file in.

Ruby giddily drummed her feet against the floor, practically dancing in her chair in barely suppressed elation, "Ooooh~ I can't wait!" her head spun to look at Violet, eyes shining, "Where do you think you'll be in the ranking?"

Violet couldn't help but smile at the energy that ebbed off Ruby in waves. She placed a finger to her chin, pretending to think about it, "I would guess second, after Pyrrha," Violet leaned back and shot Yang a smirk, "I wouldn't put it past Yang to edge me out, though. I might have won our one on one, but she's beaten full teams more consistently than I have."

The blond beamed proudly, accepting the praise, "Damn straight!" then turned back to look at Pyrrha with a nod of acceptance, "No chance we're higher than Pyrrha. I can agree on that much."

Pyrrha rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, a light tinge of red heating up her cheeks at the attention, "You never know…"

The entire group shared in a laugh, with Nora patting Pyrrha roughly on the back, "Don't be _modest_ , Pyrrha."

Weiss sat with her arms crossed, patiently waiting for class to begin and for the leaderboards to be revealed. A tiny smile curled the corner of Violet's lips when she noticed the heiress's foot tapping unconsciously against the floor.

"As long as the eight of us are at the top, I can live with wherever I'm placed," Weiss announced glumly, her eyes peering up towards the board, "God knows we deserve it after all the training we've done this semester."

Violet grinned, ' _I won't argue with that._ '

The final students made their way into the stands, and the bell rang, announcing the beginning of class. Glynda's eyes roamed over the awaiting students, many of them perched at the edge of their seats. With a satisfied smile, the combat instructor swiped a finger across the overlarge scroll she held. With a brief flash, the list of students' rankings appeared, starting at the top and working its way down one at a time.

#1 - Pyrrha Nikos

#2 - Violet Regalia

#3 - Yang Xiao Long

#4 - Weiss Schnee

#5 - Nora Valkyrie

#6 - Blake Belladonna

#7 - Lie Ren

#8 - Ruby Rose

#9 - Cardin Winchester

The rankings continued being revealed one by one as Violet sat back in her seat, a self-satisfied smile working its way to her lips. She glanced around at the various expressions on those around her, relishing in the emotions displayed.

Yang raised a congratulatory fist in her direction, and Violet bumped it with her own. Nora leaned across Ren's lap to glare at Weiss, her eyes issuing a silent challenge to the prim and proper heiress. Weiss shied away from the glare with a timid smile of her own, seemingly pleased with her own ranking. Ren simply nodded wordlessly, content with his placement among the rest of their teams.

Violet flashed Cardin a thumbs up, glad that her help hadn't gone unrewarded. Cardin returned her gesture with a nod, though he bit his lip when he turned back to the board.

' _Can't win 'em all, Cardin. You'll get the chance next seme-_ '

Violet's train of thought was interrupted as Glynda cleared her throat, drawing the attention of all those gathered, "As this is the last day of the semester, we will be forgoing your training for the Vytal tournament. _Instead_ ," she waved a hand towards the rankings, "You will each be allowed to issue challenges. If you would like to improve your ranking by attempting to defeat the person directly ahead of you, then I will allow the spar. A small dose of aura boosters will be provided after each fight, so that each spar may be completed with the combatants at their full potential."

Cardin's eyes widened, and he shot a glance over to where Ruby sat, while the young reaper's eyes looked to Ren thoughtfully.

Glynda continued, eyeing the students for a moment as several eyes darted around the room, scoping out those that were ahead of them on the leaderboard, "We will begin with the top of the board," her eyes fell on Violet, "Miss Regalia. Would you like to challenge Miss Nikos?"

Violet gave Pyrrha a lighthearted shrug, "One more, for old time's sake?"

Pyrrha giggled, "I don't think a couple months counts as ' _old times_ ', but I would be happy to take you up on the offer."

Violet turned back to Glynda with a nod, "You heard her!"

"Well then. Prepare yourselves and return to the stage. In the meantime, we'll continue down the list," her eyes shifted over to Yang as both Violet and Pyrrha got up to leave, "Would you like to challenge Miss Regalia, Miss Xiao Long?"

Yang snorted and shook her head, watching Violet head to the locker rooms with a spring in her step, "I'll pass. We just had our last spar recently. Not much would have changed since then."

"Very well," Glynda's voice drowned out as Pyrrha and Violet allowed the door to close behind them, both walking to their lockers that were only separated by a few others.

Violet sighed, quickly changing into her combat outfit and double checking Zenith. Her tutors had always drilled in frequent weapon's maintenance, and Violet was loathe to not take those lessons to heart. She'd had weapons break in more than one life that resulted in her death.

"So, any tricks up your sleeve that we haven't seen yet?" Pyrrha eyed Zenith cautiously, likely thinking back on how Violet had defeated Yang before.

' _You'll find out soon enough about the real tricks I have hidden…_ ' Violet thought idly, realizing with some minor trepidation that the fact she was a maiden would need to be revealed to team Siren soon enough. She could hardly hide it while they were out in the field hunting down Torchwick. A life and death situation was _not_ the time to be surprised by your own companions.

Violet smirked, "I've been doing a lot of training with my semblance, actually. I hope you're ready for an entirely _new_ Violet."

Pyrrha strapped her greaves to her legs, shifting them into place before grabbing up Milo and Akuou. Her eyes glimmered with the smile she shared with Violet, "Perhaps my days as the 'Invincible Girl' will finally come to an end. Sure you're up to the task?"

Violet laughed, "Only one way to find out, eh?"

The two left the locker rooms, back to the crowd of students that waited with bated breath for the spectacle to come. Violet breathed out a long breath of her own, closing her eyes as she did to try and concentrate on the fight that was about to take place. Pyrrha took up her position across from her, nearly twenty feet between the two of them that either could cross in an instant.

"Whenever you're ready, Miss Regalia," Glynda chipped in from the sidelines.

Violet kept her eyes closed a moment longer, taking one final deep breath before opening them to nod. She didn't take her eyes off Pyrrha, choosing to focus her mind entirely on her opponent. Pyrrha's eyes widened for a moment, noticing the look on Violet's face. With a smile of her own, the Mistralian champion shifted into her combat stance, shield held at the ready and sword poised to strike.

Violet flexed her semblance as the timer counted down.

' _Time to see how much I've actually improved._ '

With a loud blare, the fight began.

Violet immediately dropped the mass from her entire body and launched herself forward, crossing the distance faster than she ever had before. Zenith came down in a wide arc, flashing through the air in an attempt to crash down against Pyrrha's defenses.

Seeing the power behind the blow, Pyrrha sidestepped and raised her shield, managing to deflect Zenith so that it glanced off the side. The greatsword slammed into the arena floor, its weight shattering the tiles beneath. Violet immediately removed its mass and pulled it back up, only barely managing to get it between herself and Pyrrha as her sword struck out like a viper.

Steel streaked off steel with a loud screech. Violet took the moment to spin on her heel and swing Zenith wide once more, this time in a horizontal slash that whistled through the air. In the moment before it struck Pyrrha's shield, Violet exerted her semblance, robbing the mass from Pyrrha's weapon and shield to add to Zenith.

Pyrrha felt the sudden weightlessness of Milo and Akuou, eyes widening in surprise and with reflexes born of countless fights, she dipped backwards in the last instant, allowing Zenith to skim across the top of her shield and pass overhead instead of colliding full force against her.

With Pyrrha completely off balance, but Zenith in no place to capitalize, Violet let go of the greatsword with her offhand and added its continued momentum to her own body, transferring the mass to her hand as she punched downwards at Pyrrha's exposed form.

Green eyes flickered in her direction, not losing track of what Violet was doing for a moment. Pyrrha allowed herself to fall to the ground and rolled sideways, narrowly dodging the fist that crashed full force into the place she had just been. The tiles beneath their feet shattered, sending chunks flying off in every direction while Pyrrha jumped to her feet and resumed her combat stance.

She tested the weight of her sword and shield, grimly realizing the tactic that Violet was utilizing. With their mass lowered to such an extent, Pyrrha would have no choice but to dodge. Her shield would stand little chance against the sheer difference in mass that Zenith now had, and with Violet's ability to control it at will, she could effectively retain her speed at the same time.

' _This fight is far from over,_ ' Violet chided herself. Pyrrha was still going easy on her, as far as Violet was concerned. At any moment, the magnetic fighter could take full control of the fight by robbing Violet of her weapon, rendering her advantage moot.

' _I might not be able to win… but I_ _ **will**_ _make you go all out,_ ' Violet thought fiercely, dropping back into a stance of her own with Zenith held out to the side.

Pyrrha cautiously began to circle, keeping herself light on her feet while Violet kept a close eye on her stance. With only the barest hint, the slightest _twinge_ of muscles, Pyrrha prepared to launch herself forward, and Violet put her next plan into action.

With her focus entirely devoted to her semblance, Violet took all of her own mass, along with both of Pyrrha's weapons, and shoved it into the _tip_ of Milo. Pyrrha gasped in surprise in the middle of her dash, the end of her sword dipping drastically and planting itself in the floor. Violet chose that moment to dart across the intervening space and strike. The sharp edge of Zenith collided fully against Pyrrha's shield, the power of the blow knocking her backwards and separating her hand from her sword, which remained buried in the arena floor.

Violet pressed the attack, forcing Pyrrha to dodge and rely on her shield alone to parry the greatsword. Each strike promised devastation if it were to land. Yet, now lighter on her feet without her weapon in hand, Pyrrha was more evasive than ever.

Violet concentrated, and robbed the mass from Pyrrha's sword once more. Her own weight and the additional mass from the much lighter weapon returning wholly, ready to be used. Violet struck out a few more times, aiming not to land a true blow against Pyrrha, but only to put her off balance. It proved to be a difficult task, but after a quick series of strikes, her opportunity finally arose.

With Pyrrha's shield knocked to the side, and her feet positioned to dodge Violet's next attack, Zenith struck downwards. As the muscles in Pyrrha's legs flexed, getting ready to dive out of the way, Violet took all the mass she had gathered, and _forced_ it on to the Mistralian.

Pyrrha gasped, her legs staggering beneath her as she suddenly weighed more than twice as much as normal. That single moment was all Violet needed for Zenith to connect. The forty pound blade struck against Pyrrha's aura mercilessly, knocking her to the side in a roll. Violet instantly felt the strain of Pyrrha's aura fighting against her own to stave off the effects of her semblance, and dropped it, sweat beading her forehead and breathing ragged.

Pyrrha struggled to her feet, also exhausted from the exchange, and looked to Violet with a wary eye. She wouldn't be able to use the same tactic again, not now that Pyrrha would be on the lookout for it. Violet glanced at their aura readings and breathed out a sigh of relief. With Pyrrha in the orange, it was the lowest that _anyone_ in class had ever managed to get her.

' _She has to take it seriously now…_ '

Pyrrha returned to her combat stance and wiped her arm across her forehead, ridding herself of the sweat that had collected there. She grinned tiredly and nodded, silently telling Violet that she was ready to continue. Violet resumed her own stance and nodded in return, smiling at the fire in Pyrrha's eyes.

The quiet whistled of steel was Violet's only warning before Pyrrha's sword collided with her back, sparking against her aura and staggering her forward. It rippled outwards from the point of contact while Milo continued past into Pyrrha's hand. The Mistralian champion surged forward in a flash, raising her sword to strike.

Violet raised Zenith in time to block, the force of the blow dropping the greatsword further down towards the ground. Pyrrha spun and raised her shield high, bringing it down towards Violet, the edge streaking towards her exposed shoulder. In the same instant that Violet robbed it of its mass, the shield blackened with a dark aura, signalling Pyrrha's semblance coming into effect.

The shield struck with nearly as much force as it would have otherwise, speed making up for the lack of mass and dropping Violet to one knee with a pained gasp. Pyrrha took that moment to roll over the top of Violet and strike once more, her blade now in her hands while slashing across her back.

Violet took the brunt of the attack and rolled forward, separating herself from Pyrrha and swinging Zenith upwards in the same motion, aiming to strike her across the chest. The black aura surged around Zenith, robbing it of its speed so that Pyrrha could block more easily and parry the greatsword to the side. Violet could feel Pyrrha's semblance overriding her own control.

With no other choice, Violet allowed Zenith to fall loose and dodged backwards, out of reach of Pyrrha's follow up slash. The tip of the blade whispered past her throat, creating a tiny spark against the barest edge of her aura. Violet rubbed a hand across her neck as she stood, remaining on guard for Pyrrha's next move.

Pyrrha took her opportunity to relieve Violet of her weapon. In a quick dip, she used both her sword and her semblance to flick Zenith through the air. Violet sighed as it crashed to the ground outside the bounds of the arena, leaving her entirely bereft of a weapon.

Violet raised her hands, fingers unclenched so that she could focus on diverting the attacks that were sure to come her way. With a raised eyebrow, Pyrrha nodded and returned to her stance, preparing to bring the fight to a close.

While it had truly been a few life times since she fought with only her hands, Violet had spent many of them with that as her _only_ weapon. It appeared that Pyrrha knew what to look for, as Violet's stance betrayed her skill. The Mistralian's eyes narrowed, and she shifted lower, focusing more closely instead of believing the fight already won.

With a quick surge, Pyrrha lunged forward in a quick jab. Violet sidestepped and brought her aura protected hand up to knock the sword to the side, using it as a barrier between herself and Pyrrha's shield. Violet stepped in closer and added her weight to her fist, striking a blow against Pyrrha's exposed side that knocked the air from her lungs.

Pyrrha took the blow in stride, though, flipping her sword into a reverse grip to stab backwards into Violet's back. Both of their auras shimmered in the exchange, quavering with a tense fragility. Violet grabbed Pyrrha's wrist and spun, attempting to twist her arm and break her hold upon her sword. Pyrrha recognized the maneuver and moved with Violet, then bashed her shield against her chest to separate them once more.

Violet breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling with each painful gasp. Her eyes glanced to the monitor, taking a second to gauge their aura levels. Pyrrha's had fallen to twenty percent, while Violet's was at seventeen.

' _One more blow… I can't even count on my aura to protect me. I'll have to dodge._ '

Pyrrha took that moment to check on their aura readings as well, then resumed her wary stance. They both knew that fifteen percent was the threshold for defeat, and the near hopeless predicament that Violet was in. Getting in two hits in before Pyrrha's _one_ was a feat that no one aside from Yang could have hoped to accomplish.

Violet couldn't help but smile, ' _Isn't this when things are the most exciting?_ ' All thoughts of boredom had long since vanished in the fight, leaving the goddess with an elevated level of excitement.

The two slowly paced in a circle, eyeing each other from the mere five feet that separated them. Brilliant green eyes narrowing the instant before she attacked, Pyrrha was the first to make a move. She dashed two steps forward and brought up her shield between the two of them, going for a shield bash that would be difficult to evade. Violet brought up her open hand, and used her semblance to remove the shield's mass in order to parry it safely.

With Akuou out of the way, Violet brought her other hand up in a straight jab, aimed at Pyrrha's chest. Her sword flickered into the space between, forcing Violet to divert her own attack and grab Pyrrha's wrist once more instead. She pulled herself in close, denying her opponent the opportunity to attempt another strike with her shield, then added her own mass to it as a precaution.

Pyrrha let her shield fall from her hand as the weight increased drastically, then struck out with a punch of her own to try and force Violet away. Violet parried the blow then spun once more, replicating her move from earlier. However, with Pyrrha in the mindset to once more deny Violet the chance to disarm her, she wasn't prepared for Violet's actual plan.

Instead, Violet dropped low and swept her foot out, catching Pyrrha off guard and knocking her off her feet. She landed heavily against the shattered tiles below, her aura flickering weakly from the shards that cut into her back and her sword skittering across the floor.

Violet struck out, her fist screaming downwards, promising victory.

Pyrrha's hand raised, the black aura appearing once more.

Akuou flew from its place on the ground to slam against Violet's hand the instant before her fist could connect. Her aura crackled as the heavy shield bashed her hand away, diverting it into the floor and lowering Violet's aura past the threshold.

"And that's the match!" Glynda shouted loudly.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

Violet collapsed next to Pyrrha on the ground, breathing out pain-filled and ragged gasps. She turned to face the Mistralian champion, both remaining where they were. Violet laughed, managing to suppress the groan that threatened to take its place, and breath out a deep sigh.

"...Good… fight…"

Pyrrha smiled weakly, her chest also rising and falling heavily, "...You… too…"

After a few moments, they both helped each other struggle to their feet. Even with her current physical exhaustion, Violet could still feel some of her semblance left over. With an arm around Pyrrha's shoulder, she gave her a wink and used her semblance to remove the mass from each of them.

This time, Pyrrha's aura didn't struggle against the intrusion. With a weak smile of her own, they set off for the locker rooms, shoulder to shoulder. They paused only to gather their weapons, carrying them tiredly, and in Violet's case, dragging Zenith along the ground.

Violet collapsed on one of the benches the instant she was close enough, and Pyrrha followed suit. Violet leaned back against the locker behind herself and used the sleeve of her coat to wipe the sweat from her forehead, finally managing to catch her breath.

"That was intense," Violet admitted with a smile, "I nearly had you there. Nice move with the shield. I didn't even see it coming until it was too late."

Pyrrha laughed tiredly, "It's all I could really do. Milo slid too far away to return in time, and you don't wear any metal armor," she eyed Violet sideways with a smile, "That wouldn't happen to be intentional, would it?"

Violet smirked, "It might be~ I used to wear gauntlets when I was training, as something to focus on and transfer mass to more easily when I punched. Once I figured out how to replicate it with just my fists though, I stopped needing them."

"Have you ever considered using bracers? You'd have something else to fall back on and steal mass from when you needed it."

Violet shook her head with a laugh, "Most people can't disarm me with a wave of their _hand_. Besides that, Zenith is usually enough. Anything more would be overkill."

"I thought you _liked_ that sort of thing?" Pyrrha jokingly mocked, "No kill like overkill, right?"

Violet raised her hands defensively, "Even _I_ have my limits, as surprising as that might be. What I really need to focus on is raising my tolerance and manipulating mass more efficiently."

Pyrrha nodded, "You were definitely using your semblance more aggressively. I didn't expect to suddenly weigh twice as much."

Violet laughed, "That was a gamble. I was _lucky_ it paid off as well as it did. I half expected you to just stop my sword right then and shrug off the effects," she eyed Pyrrha sideways, a question that she'd always wanted to ask coming to mind, "Why _do_ you hold back so much? You could have ended that fight so much sooner if you were trying from the beginning."

Pyrrha sighed, leaning back against the lockers as Violet had. She took a minute to answer, her face shifting slightly to one of discomfort, "Not many people know this, but… I didn't unlock my semblance until _after_ I'd already won my first championship. Even with nothing, I managed to hold my own and persevere. I trained harder than anyone, and when the time finally came… gave it my _all_ in order to win," Pyrrha glanced over, "Putting that much effort into something and prevailing despite the odds not being in my favor was the best feeling in the world. Over the next few months, I unlocked my semblance and trained with it…" she shook her head, "My fights became so much easier. I don't know if you'd understand… but it took all of the challenge out of it. I won all of my practice bouts without any real effort, and that pride that I had felt before… it wasn't _there_ anymore. So… I stopped using it, at least to its full potential. A little nudge on my opponent's weapon here, guiding my shield back to my arm there… I only ever use it to the point where it's necessary. It lets me continue feeling that pride over my victories."

Violet laughed internally, ' _I understand better than you realize, Pyrrha. What you're describing is the thing I've spent the majority of my existence fighting against… boredom._ '

Instead, she nodded, "I think I get it. It isn't as thrilling when there's no challenge involved."

Pyrrha smiled, "I'm glad you understand."

Violet stood shakily, offering a hand down to Pyrrha, "I suppose we should watch the rest of the fights. Nora looked about ready to fight Weiss right there in the stands."

Pyrrha accepted her hand and climbed back to her feet, swaying only slightly on exhausted legs, "I wonder if Weiss will challenge Yang? It would be nice to see where each of us stands, since we may end up fighting each other in the doubles' rounds."

Violet held a hand to her chin in thought, "True, but Weiss has only beaten Yang _once_ out of their fights, and that was mostly because she didn't know anything about her semblance yet. The element of surprise is pretty much gone, at least until she learns to do more."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha frowned, "Weiss seems like she has a fairly good grasp on her semblance."

Violet shook her head, "The Schnee semblance is pretty famous, actually. They all have the same one, passed down through the family. If Weiss is anything like them, she should be able to learn how to summon."

Pyrrha's eyes widened as they began to walk towards the door and back out on to the arena floor, "Summon?"

Violet nodded firmly, "Any grimm she's killed can be brought back to fight for her," she eyed the heiress up in the stands, barely managing to ward off Nora, "If you want to beat us in the tournament, then I'd suggest you focus on that. Another few months, and I might actually be able to beat you on my own. That leaves Weiss and Yang as the wild cards, but yellow beats white as is. Even if _I_ can't beat you myself, Yang and I together should be enough after she's taken care of Weiss."

Pyrrha nodded in understanding. The idea was simple enough, especially for the seasoned competitor's mind. If Violet was certain of Yang's victory, she could try and delay Pyrrha as long as possible and force a stalemate until her teammate would arrive as back up. At that point, the disparity between Pyrrha and Violet would mean little. Team Vibrant would take the victory easily enough.

"Thanks for the tip," Pyrrha eyed Violet curiously, one eyebrow raising, "Why _are_ you giving me tips, though? Don't you want to win?"

Violet smiled and patted Pyrrha on the back as they began to climb the stairs to where their teams were seated.

"Not without a _challenge_ , Pyrrha. Not without a challenge."

Pyrrha resumed her place next to her teammates in the row above, while Violet sat back down next to the rest of team Vibrant. Yang put her on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort her after the loss.

"You were so close!" Ruby cheered from her place further down, leaning forward to look past the rest of the team, "I really thought you had her there at the end!"

Violet shook her head, "Not close enough. I've got a long way to go before the Vytal tournament if we want to win."

"I'm sure you won't disappoint us," Blake replied confidently.

From there, the spars continued. Nora ended up challenging Weiss, but was soundly defeated by the heiress's debilitating combination of both gravity, and speed glyphs. The sheer difference was more than the rambunctious Mistralian could overcome.

After their bout had ended, Cardin challenged Ruby. While Violet had been training Cardin during spars for the last couple weeks, she had no qualms about cheering on her teammate wholeheartedly. To many people's surprise, Cardin faired better than they had been expecting, but ultimately lost in the end.

Cardin refrained from acting out after the match had ended, and instead thanked Ruby for the match. He kept his head high as he returned to the stands, and was congratulated for his efforts by his team. Violet clapped a few times when he glanced over as well, a gesture of good faith and moral support.

' _Maybe we should work on unlocking his semblance next?_ '

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ruby began to skip past. Violet clapped her on the back as she did, earning herself a smile from the young reaper. Ruby plopped back down in her seat, still slightly red-faced after the fight.

"Never doubted you for a second, Little Red."

Ruby scoffed and waved her hand through the air, speaking a little breathlessly, "Piece of cake!"

The rest of the class continued to spar for the next few hours, keeping the entire congregation there to watch while people vied for better placements. Vibrant and Siren spoke amongst each other while they kept an eye on the fights. They collectively chose to cheer for whoever happened to be the underdog.

Time seemed to fly by, and before long, the final spar had been completed. Violet eyed the list and smiled, ' _Have to give it to Glynda. She certainly knows her stuff._ ' Out of all the spars that had taken place, only a few had ended in upsets. The rankings remained much the same as they'd started, a stark reminder of how well the seasoned huntress could size up competitors.

As the majority of the class got up to leave, Glynda called out loudly over the mass of students heading for the door, "Would team Vibrant and team Siren please remain. The rest of you may leave."

A few of the other students shot their teams curious frowns. The members of team Siren mimicked their expressions, confused that they had been told to stay while everyone else was allowed to leave. Violet waved for them all to follow and headed down to the arena floor. She stood with her hands behind her head, waiting for the room to be cleared and for Glynda to begin.

Once the final student had exited, Glynda swiped a finger across her scroll. A thick bar slid out from the wall and barred the door shut, blocking out anyone that may have tried to reenter afterwards. She stood tall, eyeing the eight of them in front of her, before shaking her head minutely.

Glynda looked at team Siren in particular, a little off to her left while Vibrant stood to her right, "It has come to the Headmaster's attention that the four of you will be joining team Vibrant in their… after school activities… Beginning next semester, Professor Ozpin will be granting you access to this room after combat class, so that you may practice team tactics in order to heighten your team's cohesion."

A few members of team Siren paled, and Weiss hesitantly stepped forward, "You mean… he _approves?_ " her eyes flickered over to Violet, looking to her for confirmation.

Violet nodded in return, "There's a lot that we need to explain," she shifted back to Glynda, "How much is he allowing, exactly?"

Glynda sighed, her normally uptight demeanor dropping for a moment as a hint of sadness passed across her features. Her eyes returned to Violet's, her mouth pursed in a thin line, "Everything."

Violet could tell that the professor shared in her desire to protect the other students, though Violet herself was likely on her list as well. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Glynda, forced to include so many that were so young when she knew the true dangers that lay ahead, ' _And with Ozpin's theory that 'the goddess' might try and make things more dramatic… I wish I could offer you a few comforting words…_ '

"What do you mean by 'everything'?" Pyrrha spoke up, frowning in confusion between Violet and the combat instructor.

Violet sighed as well and raised her hand. Small sparks of amethyst colored lightning danced across her fingertips, and her eyes lit up into a bright neon. Weiss and Pyrrha stepped back in surprise, while Ren stoically remained where he was. Nora's eyes widened while she leaned closer.

Violet smiled despite herself.

"The real question is... where do we _begin_ …?"


	29. Gingers

Pyrrha stood in stunned silence, similar to the rest of team Siren.

' _Maidens… Magic… and a murderess on the loose..._ ' her eyes were locked on to the towering stalagmite of ice that Violet had created, it's amethyst color washing the rest of the room in a brilliant purple from the stadium lights reflecting off it. Even with the proof right before her eyes, it was hard to believe.

"So, this girl, Amber…" Weiss stepped forward with a frown on her face, eyes flickering between Goodwitch and Violet, "You said she's in a coma? Is she _safe?_ "

"For the moment…" Miss Goodwitch replied, "Amber is being kept in an undisclosed location for the time being. No one has access to her aside from myself and the Headmaster. You needn't worry about her being found."

Weiss nodded numbly, looking to the towering spire of ice. Her eyes shifted back to Violet, "Why do you need _us?_ "

Violet sighed, rubbing a hand across the back of her neck and glancing to her own team before replying, "I uh… _was_ trying to take care of it with just myself and Qrow. I wanted to keep my team out of it, and asking for your help initially helped with the cover story," the rest of team Vibrant glared, and Violet raised her hands, "I'm sorry for using you like that. I _do_ want your help now, though. Torchwick has likely gone to ground along with whoever he's associating with. We'll need all the help we can get to track them down."

"What changed your mind?" Ren asked from his place on the side, a quizzical frown on his face. His eyes cleared for a moment, and whipped over to Violet's own, "That explosion in the warehouse district wouldn't happen to have been caused by you as well, was it?"

"It… No, not quite. Qrow and I were scoping out where we believed Torchwick to be, along with the half-maiden. It ended up being a trap, one that he narrowly escaped from. They lured him into the building and detonated it with some of the dust they've been stealing."

"So if there's an explosion, we should always assume you're involved somehow~" Nora stated playfully, smirking for good measure, "Got it~"

"Hey!" Violet crossed her arms in a huff, looking to the side, "It's not like I make a habit of it or anything. These things just happen."

"Oh~?" Nora raised an eyebrow and looked over to Pyrrha, "Apparently these things 'just happen', Pyrrha. How many explosions have _you_ been involved in this week?"

"N-none, of course," Pyrrha gave an apologetic smile to Violet for not being able to help against Nora's teasing, before a thought came to mind. She narrowed her eyes at Violet, lightly accusatory, "You could have been winning our spars this entire time!"

Violet shook her head, "I never would, for two reasons. For one, I need to keep the fact that I'm a maiden a secret," her eyes swept across team Siren, "Amber wasn't the first maiden to be attacked for her powers, and she certainly won't be the last. If word got out, then my life would be in danger…"

As she said it, Pyrrha noticed her eyes somberly shifting ever so slightly towards her team. Pyrrha silently understood the look, knowing the type of person that Violet was. She was far more worried about her team's well being than her own, and didn't want them to be targeted because of her.

' _Why else would she not include them in the first place?_ '

Violet firmed once more, glancing back to Pyrrha with a grin, "Two, that wouldn't exactly be _exciting_ , would it? I understand your predicament better than you'd think, Pyrrha."

The others on team Vibrant frowned, wondering exactly what predicament it was that Violet had mentioned. She had only shared the truth with her own team and Violet so far, and chose to ignore the questioning looks sent her way. Pyrrha didn't like to let people know she was essentially taking it easy on them at all times. It could be demoralizing, knowing that the 'close' fight you'd had in the past had only been so because Pyrrha _allowed_ it.

Weiss shook her head, "This is a _lot_ to take in. Do you have any plans for what we'll be doing?"

Violet glanced to Miss Goodwitch, then shrugged, "Not yet. Qrow is going to do a bit of searching and get back to us. In the meantime, you all need to train to work as a team. That's the entire _point_ of the team tactics classes. Getting you all ready."

"So our weekend is still free?" Nora asked hopefully, clasping her hands together to give Miss Goodwitch a pair of wide eyes.

Miss Goodwitch sighed, "Yes. As I said, you'll begin training next week when the new semester begins. Until then, feel free to take some time and decide whether or not this is what you really want to do," her eyes scanned across the entire group, locking one by one with each in turn, "There is _no_ shame in backing down. You are only freshmen, after all."

Weiss shared a worried frown with the rest of her team, mirrored by Pyrrha herself. Nora scoffed and stepped between the two to pat them on the back with a bit more force than was necessary.

"We might be in our first year, but we're the top eight students _in_ that year! There's nothing we can't handle!"

Ren nodded his agreement, "We are all quite capable. From the sounds of it, Amber was alone when she was attacked. With all of us together…?" he smiled lightly, "We'll be fine."

' _I hope that's the truth,_ ' Pyrrha thought worriedly, taking in the expression on both Violet and Miss Goodwitch's face. Each appeared bothered by how quickly team Siren had agreed to go along with the mission. ' _Overconfidence can end in defeat. No matter what Nora says, everyone will need to be careful. We can't afford to be sloppy against opponents like these._ '

Weiss layed one arm across her chest to support her other elbow, opposite hand moving up to her chin, "You know… If we can set up a shipment of SDC dust as bait, we might be able to leave a tracker inside to find where they're keeping what they've stolen. I could use my connections within the SDC to make it happen."

"That's… not a bad idea," Violet replied, "Though there's no guarantee that the half-maiden would be there, it could at least give us a lead…" she pulled out her scroll and began typing a message, "I'm letting Qrow know to see what he thinks. It certainly beats aimlessly exploring the warehouse district night after night."

"Good idea, Weiss!" Ruby piped up, flashing a grin, "I'd expect nothing less from the leader of Vibrant's rival team!"

Weiss waved away the praise with a light tinge of red on her cheeks, "Anyone could have thought of it. Don't be ridiculous."

Blake, who had been quiet the entire time thus far, finally raised her eyes from the floor, "I could give the addresses of various White Fang hideouts as well. We had quite a few safehouses scattered across Vale when I was still part of the organization," her eyes flickered to Weiss and she coughed, turning to the side, "I was… fairly high up, so I have a lot of information about how their branch functions…"

Miss Goodwitch spoke up, "Any information you could provide would be an undeniable asset to our cause."

Blake nodded timidly, "I can message you the addresses later. Aside from that… Their leader is Adam Taurus. He's a bull faunus with red hair, and a matching katana. If you come across him," her eyes grew serious, sweeping across the others, "Do. Not. Fight. Him. Adam is one of the most deadly faunus I've ever met, and I have no doubt that he'd have a good chance at killing any one of us, _especially_ alone," she glanced to the spire of ice that had begun to melt, then back to Violet. Her voice dipped to a quieter tone, "You might be able to take him by yourself, Vi, but _please_... don't try if you can help it… If… If he…"

As Blake's gaze fell back towards the floor, Violet crossed the distance to place a hand gently against the underside of her chin and lifted her eyes back to her face, "Don't worry about it, Blake. I already promised you all that I wouldn't go off on my own. I _don't_ break my promises. If I see Adam, I'll do my best to stay safe and get help. Don't forget the promise _you_ made either, alright?"

Blake smiled sadly and nodded her assent, seeming to take Violet at her word.

"I'm glad you trust us, Violet," Pyrrha chipped in, realizing the implications of what it truly meant to be a maiden. Aside from Ren and Violet herself, six girls made up the rest of their two teams. The thought would never have crossed her mind to betray Violet for power, not in a million years. Knowing that Violet understood that helped to ease her fears, somewhat. Having someone you could trust, that trusted you in turn, had a tendency to do that.

"How could I not?" Violet grinned sheepishly.

Miss Goodwitch drew their attention with a mild cough, lowering her hand once more when they turned to face her, "I believe that is enough for tonight. Go and get your rest. Enjoy your weekend… I expect you all to be at your _best_ on Monday."

Violet gave a grinning salute as the spire of ice crashed to the floor in pieces and dissolved in only a few seconds, leaving no evidence of her maiden powers being used. The rest of them excused themselves, heading back up through the arena's stands to the door. The large steel bar retracted back into the wall before they reached it, allowing the eight of them to exit back out into the hallway and begin the trip back to their dorms. They shuffled along slowly, for the most part. The only one that appeared to have any energy was Nora, who skipped along gleefully.

' _This is just all so much to take in…_ ' Pyrrha remained quiet like the rest as they walked, her attention thoroughly devoted to her own thoughts. She subconsciously shook her head ruefully, ' _To think I was taking it easy on_ _ **Violet**_ _this whole time._ '

"So, we still on for going to the movies tomorrow?" Yang spoke up after a few minutes.

Team Siren shared a glance and nodded one by one. Weiss chose to take it upon herself to speak for them, smiling hesitantly, "Miss Goodwitch did tell us to enjoy our weekend. It might be the last time we have a lot of free time on our hands for awhile. I'd rather enjoy it as best I can."

"And what better way than to spend it together?" Nora tacked on, playfully bumping into Ren mid skip.

"What's playing in the theater right now?" Ruby asked the rest.

Yang pulled out her scroll and navigated to a site that detailed what was currently playing, "Huntsman II: Whispers of the Grimm?"

"Does it have to be an action movie?" Blake asked, her ears twitching on top of her head, "The explosions tend to uh… hurt."

"Hmmmm…" Yang flicked her thumb down the list to view their other options, "How about a romantic comedy?"

Blake shrugged, "Fine by me."

The rest agreed, with Nora sidling up next to Yang to check out the movie's description and send furtive glances in Ren's direction. Pyrrha held back an exasperated sigh, ' _If I ever start falling for a guy, I hope I don't dance around my feelings for him like Nora does with Ren… They've wasted so much time already._ ' Pyrrha had been watching Nora struggling with her desires since she'd known her, and Ren's emotional obliviousness hardly helped.

"That settles it then," Yang slipped her scroll away and smiled to the rest as they made the final approach to their dorms, "The showtime is at seven thirty. See you all there!"

Pyrrha gave a polite nod and opened up Siren's dorm, holding it open to let everyone else file in once they'd said their goodnights. After Goodwitch's class had lasted so long, and their lengthy conversation, Pyrrha was ready to sleep on it all. With everyone inside and the door shut, she immediately headed over to her dresser and began changing into her sleepwear.

Nora leapt onto her own bed with a bounce, spinning midair to crash land on her back, "I can't believe they've been keeping something so cool from us! I'd love to have powers like Violet's!"

"I don't envy the dangers that come with them," Ren chimed in thoughtfully, sitting down on his own bed and averting his gaze from where Pyrrha stood, "Do you think Violet is worried for her own wellbeing?"

"More for her team," Pyrrha answered easily, pulling a t-shirt down over herself, "Violet is definitely more concerned for _them_ than anyone coming after her."

"That makes sense, in a way," Weiss replied, sighing as she began fixing her hair before bed, "It was still very irresponsible of her to leave them all behind and try to take Torchwick on with only Ruby's uncle as backup. Things could have ended _much_ worse than they did."

"I wonder how he escaped?" Ren spoke his question absentmindedly. No one in the room could really be expected to know the answer, and neither Violet or Miss Goodwitch had been particularly forthcoming.

"I suppose we could ask him. I wouldn't mind meeting Ruby's uncle before he ends up leading us out on missions," Pyrrha tacked on, "From the sounds of it, he's a rather accomplished huntsman."

Weiss yawned, beginning to change as well, "We can take solace in that, at the very least. Even if he _did_ almost get himself blown up."

Nora's eyes brightened, "He's a regular action hero!"

Ren shook his head, "Don't tell Yang that. Her obsession with Spruce Willis will only get worse."

Weiss scoffed, "As if she could fangirl any harder."

Ren nodded his assent. After a few more minutes spent preparing for bed, everyone slipped beneath the covers. Pyrrha raised a hand and turned off the light from her place in bed, blanketing the room in darkness. She closed her own eyes and lay on her back, mind refusing to relax after learning so much in such a short amount of time.

It seemed she wasn't the only one, as the sound of Weiss fussing in bed could be heard from Pyrrha's left. After rolling over for the fourth time, the heiress huffed and reached over to her bedside table to turn on her lamp.

Pyrrha could see the worry on her face, likely reflected in her own. Weiss' eyes scanned across the three of them as she sat up in bed, fretting with the edge of her blanket, "Are you… Are you all _sure_ you want to do this? I want to help team Vibrant, but… I don't want to feel like I'm making such an important decision for everyone else," she chuckled sadly, "I can see now why Violet would want to leave her team out of it... If any of you get hurt on my watch…"

"This is what we're here for, Weiss!" Nora cheered from her place in bed, "Our lives were _always_ going to be dangerous! So what if it's happening a bit sooner than we expected?"

"Even as hunters in training, it is our duty to do what we can to help," Ren answered calmly.

"Pyrrha…?"

Pyrrha sighed, sitting up slightly as well to regard her leader with a weak smile, "You don't have to worry about us, Weiss. None of us will think any less of you for having cold feet. I'd likely feel the same in your position. The only thing we can do is try our best, and hope it all works out in the end."

Weiss returned her smile with the same lack of energy, eyes drifting off to stare at her hands that clenched her bed sheets tightly, "We'll all do our best…" her eyes firmed, turning back up to stare at her team with a fierceness not normally shown by the heiress, " _I'll_ do my best, and make _sure_ we all get through this together. You can count on me."

Pyrrha's smile became far more genuine, the certainty behind Weiss' words invigorating her own determination, "We've got this."

"Yeah!" Nora cheered once more, "Team Siren won't let Vibrant outshine them! That ginger bozo is giving all gingers a bad name! Let's take 'em down!"

Weiss and Pyrrha laughed, feeding off of Nora's energy. With a firm nod of her own, Weiss once again turned off her light, washing the room in darkness. Silence returned to the room as the four of them were all reassured, knowing that if all else failed, they would have each other's backs.

* * *

The sound of a loud thump across the room woke Weiss with a start, her head popping up, eyes blinking blearily. She rubbed two fingers against the corners of her eyes with a quiet groan and took a second look. Nora came into focus, slowly beginning to stand and rubbing a hand on the side of her forehead.

"Sorry," Nora mumbled with a yawn, taking a moment to twist the blanket from around her body and lay it back on the bed in a heap, "Dreamt I was wrestling an ursa. Things got pretty rough there for a minute."

Weiss checked the time on her scroll and sat up, stretching her arms above her head, "That's fine, Nora. I'm glad you woke me, actually. Students from the other kingdoms are supposed to be arriving today. I wanted to head down to the docks early and get a look at the-" Weiss coughed, " _Greet,_ the new students that we'll be sharing classes with."

Nora clenched her fists in a fierce expression, "While we're at it we can figure out their weaknesses! Good plan, Weiss!"

Weiss blushed, turning away slightly, "O-of course not! I'd never think of something so nefarious!"

Nora smirked, "Well then, good thing you've got me, huh?" she shook Ren roughly, waking him up with a surprised grumble, "Wakey wakey Renny!"

Pyrrha began to stir as well, the sounds of her teammate excitedly speaking nearby getting the better of her. Weiss quickly pulled herself free of her own blankets and swept into the bathroom to get ready ahead of the others. Nora had a tendency to leave the countertop a mess, making it difficult to find any of her fashion products, and Ren was, well… a boy. ' _He can handle letting a lady go first._ '

Weiss made sure to work fast, if still with a level of honed perfection. After living with her teammates at Beacon for so long, she'd become used to the faster pace required to get everyone in and out before classes began. There was no such thing as 'fashionably late', as far as she was concerned. You were just _late_.

Weiss stepped out a handful of minutes later and made way for Pyrrha, who gave her a sleepy nod and hid a yawn behind her hand in passing.

"Weiss! Finally!" Nora said with a huff of frustration, arms crossed and glaring at Ren's back as he got ready. She held a pair of matching shirts in her hands, one small and one large, "Help me talk some sense into Renny!"

Ren sighed, turning back around to regard Nora, then shift his focus over to Weiss, "Tell Nora she's being ridiculous."

"Am not!"

"Alright, alright," Weiss held her hands up in an attempt to appear calming, closing the distance to stand next to Nora and glance down at the shirts she held, "What's this about, exactly?"

"These!" Nora held up the shirts so that Weiss could see them more clearly. The larger of the two was green. On the shoulder was a small patch with a lightning bolt striking through the middle of Ren's emblem. The smaller was pink with Nora's emblem on the shoulder, a flower growing out of the top, "Ren won't wear the shirt I made him!"

Weiss felt her cheeks heating slightly, realizing the implications, and the argument the two of them were having. She had done her best to ignore all of Nora's attempts at 'romance' with their teammate, and as far as she could tell, Ren had done the same.

"You know… you can't force Ren to wear something if he doesn't want to…"

"Gah, you're no help!" Nora threw her hands up and stalked to the door, throwing it open and slamming it shut. She could be heard pounding on Vibrant's door moments later before finally being let in.

Weiss dipped down to pick up the shirts that she'd dropped and laid them out on Nora's bed, eyeing them both. On closer inspection, the emblems themselves had been painstakingly stitched on, using the single toned shirts as a base. Weiss ran a finger over the threading, knowing the effort that would have gone into making something like this, especially for the hyperactive Mistralian.

Weiss sighed, "These _are_ really nice, Ren…"

Ren paused in the middle of adjusting the cuffs on his combat outfit, shoulders slumping, "I know…"

"Then why don't you wear them? I'm sure Nora would really appreciate it."

"It's… complicated. Nora will get over it. She always does."

Not for the first time, Weiss wished for Violet's unnatural ability to cut straight through to what was bothering someone. She'd managed it on the first day of class, steering Weiss in the right direction with only a few words. The heiress had never had a knack for cheering up others, though.

"I'm sure you know Nora much better than I do. She may give up on this idea soon enough, but we _both_ know she'll be back with another in a couple of days, at most," Weiss gulped, steeling herself for what she wanted to say next. It was her duty as team leader to smooth over any arguments, no matter how personal they might be. Even so, her cheeks heated further.

"You're always so withdrawn that it's hard to tell, but… You know she _likes_ you, right…?"

"We've been together for years now. How could we not be friends?"

"That _isn't_ what I meant, Ren."

Ren turned around to regard Weiss, a somber expression in his eyes, "I just… can't. Not yet. There's a _reason_ I chose to become a huntsman, and until then… I can't afford to be distracted. If Nora and I…" he shook his head, "Then I might lose sight of what I've been working towards for so long."

Weiss could tell from the way Ren had phrased it that he didn't want to talk about exactly what his reasons were, but Weiss forged on regardless, "You're going to deny yourself happiness? That's no way to live, Ren. I don't know what it is you're trying to accomplish, and _maybe_ I'd change my mind if you told me, but from where _I'm_ standing… You shouldn't _wait_ for love. Whatever you and Nora have? That's special. Every day that you push her away is a day that you'll _regret_ once you finally take that next step."

Ren's gaze fell to the floor, Weiss' words seeming to have some effect on him. He sighed quietly, closing his eyes for a moment as he did, "Maybe you're right…"

The door to the hall suddenly slammed open, Nora charging back in with a sleepy looking Violet on her heels. The leader of team Vibrant rubbed her eyes and gave a weak wave to the two standing in shock, apparently as confused as the two of them to what Nora had planned.

Nora raised a shaking finger at Ren, "That's the one, Violet! Freeze his legs so he can't run!"

Violet frowned, looking between the three of them, "Yeah, I'm not doing that..." and turned around to head back into her dorm with a tired yawn.

" _What!?_ Traitor!" Nora exclaimed, rushing back out after her.

The door closed quietly in their wake.

The door to the bathroom opened quickly, followed by a half dressed Pyrrha flanked by all the metal objects from the bathroom and hefting her toothbrush threateningly. She scanned the room with a pair of wide eyes, "What's happening!?"

Weiss placed her palm against her face and shook her head while Ren averted his eyes, blushing heavily, "Nothing at all, Pyrrha. Finish getting ready so we can go, alright?"

Pyrrha's cheeks reddened, realizing there was no threat and the state of undress she was in before squeaking. She slammed the bathroom door closed behind herself in a rush, all the objects that had been floating in the air instead falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Erase that from your mind," Weiss threatened.

"I'm trying. I _really_ am."

"Try harder."

* * *

Pyrrha very actively avoided looking in Ren's general direction for the next few hours. Every time she did, she could feel the heat once more rising to her cheeks. Partially due to the morning's events, she'd chosen a very modest outfit for Weiss' little outing, going with a thick red sweater and black capris.

To her surprise, Ren had foregone his usual clothes as well and was instead wearing matching shirts with Nora, each sporting a patch on the side that corresponded with the other person's emblem in a noticeable way. Nora giddily held his arm against her chest despite his protests. After the first dozen attempts to free himself, and the way Nora had crushed his arm while refusing to let go, he'd given up.

They stepped out of the small cafe where they'd gone for breakfast and walked the few blocks to the pier. Weiss had told them of the rumors she'd heard, and decorations for the upcoming festival were already beginning to line the streets. Pyrrha's eyes caught on to a large banner strung up nearby, 'Welcome to Vale' written in large bold letters for all to see.

"Oh, I can't wait! This festival is sure to be amazing!" Weiss fauned excitedly, eyes taking in the banner as well.

Nora grinned and hugged Ren's arm more tightly, "You're telling me! First we get to party, then we get to kick butt!? What more could you ask for?"

"Mobility in both arms?" Ren chimed in lightly.

"Quiet, you~" Nora's grin widened further, a happy hum escaping her lips.

Thankfully, Pyrrha seemed to have finally gotten over her earlier embarrassment and no longer felt like clamming up whenever Ren spoke, "Are you sure they were supposed to arrive today, Weiss? I don't wish to offend your sources, but if our first semester just ended, then so would theirs. I don't believe a ship can make it all the way from… anywhere really, to Vale in less than a day."

Weiss frowned, "Are you sure their schedules are the same? I thought they might have ended a week earlier or so…"

"I went to school in Argus. Trust me when I say our year's terms matched up with Beacon's."

A downcast expression passed across Weiss' face, and her eyes lowered to the ground, "Oh… that's too bad."

"M-maybe I'm wrong, though?" Pyrrha rubbed a hand across the back of her head, sorry that she'd been the one to dash her leader's hopes, "We should go, just in case!"

"We have come this far already," Ren agreed.

"To the docks!" Nora cheered.

The entire group ushered Weiss along, who's hopes managed to raise slightly by the time they made it to the docks. The stench of fish wafted off the ocean, waves crashing against the shore in a mesmerizing lull that reminded Pyrrha of home. A ship had only recently pulled into harbor, the deck hands still busy securing ropes and beginning to bring cargo to the deck to unload.

Pyrrha put a hand on Weiss' shoulder when there were no students to be seen, offering the other girl some small comfort, "Well, even if it wasn't today, it shouldn't be long-"

Pyrrha was interrupted by the loud bang of one of the ship's doors opening, a blond boy in a white vest and blue capris sprinting out of the opening to jump onto the railing while evading the deckhands that followed. Pyrrha could barely make out the blond tail that protruded from his backside, swaying playfully as he jumped to crouch on the ship's railing.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" the blond laughed and lept from the railing to run across the docks, them climbed easily up onto one of the many light poles that lined the dock's edge. Pyrrha winced when he flipped upside down to support himself by his tail, but calmed when it didn't appear to hurt him in anyway.

"You no good stowaway!" one of the deck hands yelled out, shaking a fist after the monkey faunus.

"Hey!" the blond smirked, "A 'no good stowaway' would have been caught! I'm a _great_ stowaway!"

"You don't suppose _he's_ a student, do you?" Weiss asked hopefully, peering out to stare at the blond.

Pyrrha shrugged weakly, "He might be…? He's certainly athletic enough."

"Let's ask him!" Nora moved up to lean over the railing, cupping one hand to her mouth to shout clearly, "Hey! Are you a student!?"

"Who, me!?" the blond shouted back, crossing his arms and staring back at the four of them, "Who wants to know!?"

"Me, silly!"

The faunus suddenly let go with his tail, dropping to the dock with a roll before springing back to his feet. He sauntered across the docks with a smirk and headed up the stairs to close the distance to them, "Name's Sun!" his eyes scanned across them, finally settling on Pyrrha. His eyes went wide, "You're Pyrrha Nikos!"

"Y-yes," Pyrrha replied timidly, uncertain of whether or not she should hold her hand out, ' _I swear, I never wanted fame! All I wanted was to fight strong people!_ '

"That's cool!" his eyes flickered to Weiss and he took an involuntary step back, "O-oh, and you are…?"

"Weiss Schnee, but I suppose you gathered my last name at least, by that reaction?" she sighed and held a hand out, "Pleasure to meet you, Sun. Please don't think poorly of me because of my name."

"Um, _wow,_ " Sun accepted the handshake and rubbed the back of his head with his other hand, "That was _not_ what I was expecting."

"I-I'm just full of surprises…!" Weiss tried to mimic Nora's energy and failed horribly. She let Sun's hand fall free after a few seconds and gestured to the two Mistralians, "This is Ren and Nora."

Sun tilted his head slightly looking at the two of them, then nodded once, "Mistralians, right? Me too!" he shrugged, "For my first school term, anyway. I _am_ a student."

Pyrrha couldn't help but notice the way Weiss' eyes were tracking Sun's tail as it lazily whipped in the air behind him, and nudged her to get her back on track, "I thought the school terms were in synch? Didn't the first semester end yesterday for you as well?"

Sun put a hand to his chin in thought, "Huh, guess it did. I ditched about a week ago when I heard about the Vytal Festival! I couldn't wait to come see!"

Weiss frowned in disapproval, "You skipped classes? Won't your team miss you?"

Sun waved a hand in dismissal, "They're fine! Team Sun is the most self-sufficient bunch you'll ever meet!"

"Wait. You're the _leader_ , too!?" Weiss balked, eyes going wide.

"Of course! Who else would be put in charge of a bunch of misfits like them?" Sun continued to grin, missing Weiss' reaction entirely, his eyes lifted up to look around, finally taking in some of the decorations that had begun going up around the moderately busy street. He gave a quick nod of his head, "See you at Beacon! I've got a town to explore!"

Pyrrha watched Weiss raise a hand as Sun turned away, placing his hands behind his head and swiveling every which way while he walked to take in the sights. Her hand fell back down to her side in defeat, shaking her head in muted exasperation.

"Can't win 'em all, Weiss!" Nora comforted, patting their leader on the back.

Weiss stood up straighter and sighed, "I guess that'll be the only one for now. He was… interesting, I suppose."

"You could say _that_ again," Nora agreed.

Ren slowly began extricating his arm while Nora seemed to be distracted, only for her remaining hand to clench more tightly on his forearm, burying it against her chest. Nora gave him a smirk and brought her other hand back to the task of not letting go.

Pyrrha blushed at the display and turned to look around the busy street. Her eyes caught on to another ginger girl in the distance. The girl walked up to some passersby on the sidewalk and looked like she was introducing herself. After a handful of seconds worth of conversation, the other person shook his head, walking away from the girl. She lowered hers, then perked back up as another person approached to speak to them as well. Once again, that person shook their head and walked away.

"Well, this was a bust. Should we head back to Beacon? I want to get a little studying in before we go to the movies later."

"Uh, yeah. One second," Pyrrha replied offhandedly, making her way over to the other girl. With each person that rejected her, she became more and more distraught, shoulders slumping even further.

The ginger girl's head perked up when Pyrrha approached, green eyes raising to her own and a slight smile tugging at her lips, "Salutations! My name is Penny!"

"Hello, Penny!" Pyrrha replied kindly, returning the smile with one of her own, "Are you okay? You look like you're in trouble."

"Oh, it's nothing really," Penny spoke earnestly, "I was hoping someone could help me get to Beacon!"

Pyrrha looked the girl up and down, taking in the odd attire that she wore, complete with glowing green lines on her leggings and skirt, "You're a student?"

"Indeed!" Penny spoke excitedly, now smiling more brightly, "And you're Pyrrha Nikos! You're attending Beacon, are you not?"

"Eh, heh. Yeah, I am," Pyrrha glanced over her shoulder to where the rest of her team stood waiting, watching after her with curious expressions, "My team and I were about to head back. Would you like to accompany us?"

"That sounds wonderful!" Penny answered, looking over Pyrrha's shoulder to the rest of her team, "I can't wait to make some more friends!"

' _...She's odd… but I can't say I don't sympathize…_ ' Pyrrha held a hand out to shake Penny's, "Glad to have you!"

Pyrrha led the awkward girl over to the rest of her team and introduced her as well as she could. Weiss brightened when she heard that Penny was a student from Atlas. With a few pleasantries exchanged, the group set off back for Beacon, throwing questions to Penny.

"I'm combat ready!" Penny raised a hand and saluted after being asked what her weapons were.

"So you're a hand to hand fighter?" Weiss asked curiously, looking her up and down, "Excuse me for saying it, but you don't look built for it."

"I was built very well," Penny replied happily, then skipped a step as they walked, "I mean… uh…"

Pyrrha giggled and clapped her on the shoulder, "You mean you're well built, right?" with her hand against her, Pyrrha could feel how firm the girl's body was, "You might give Yang a run for her money."

"Yang?" Penny asked, appearing glad for Pyrrha's assistance.

"She's the third strongest in our year," Weiss replied with a dismissive wave, "and a member of the only team from Beacon that stands a chance against us in the tournament. As long as we have Pyrrha, our victory is assured."

"Pyrrha Nikos is a strong competitor," Penny agreed with a nod.

"We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves," Pyrrha cautioned, "Violet almost beat me yesterday. There's no telling how adept she might become with her semblance by the time the tournament rolls around."

Nora scoffed, " _Puh-lease,_ Pyrrha. We all know you've been taking it easy in class, and she does too, right? I don't think Violet's ever been fighting with the assumption that she might _win,_ especially if you go all out."

"We all know what she's capable of, though…" Ren spoke up with a glance at Penny, careful not to reveal too much.

"You mean that she's a maiden?" Penny replied easily, glancing over the group and not seeming to notice their surprised reactions.

Pyrrha sent furtive glances around them and sighed in relief, seeing that no one had been close enough nearby to overhear the Atlesian girl. Weiss grabbed Penny's hand and pulled her into an alleyway along with the rest of team Siren, each nervously eyeing the street around themselves.

Penny's face fell in confusion, eyes staring down at the hand holding on to hers, "Did I say something wrong?"

"How do you know about Violet!?" Weiss hissed out quietly, staring closely at Penny.

"General Ironwood told me… He also said that team Siren were among those that knew the truth as well. Was he wrong?" Penny asked the last question worriedly, "I hope I haven't messed up already…"

"We already knew…" Ren confirmed quietly, "It's supposed to be a secret, though. How did… General Ironwood...? Find out?" he tested the name in his mouth, unfamiliar with whoever it might be.

Weiss scoffed, "James Ironwood is the General of the Atlesian military, and also has a seat on the Atlas council. My sister works for him…" she eyed Penny closely, "From the sounds of it, so do you?"

"Um… kind of. General Ironwood is part of Headmaster Ozpin's inner circle. They're friends!"

"So how do _you_ come into play? I hope the General isn't spouting off secrets to every student he comes across!" Nora muttered angrily, narrowing her eyes at Penny. Her hold on Ren's arm was long forgotten.

"Oh, I'm uh, just a student!" Penny hiccuped, then covered her mouth in embarrassment, "Honest!" she hiccuped again.

"Who else knows?" Weiss asked tightly.

Penny raised her hands to begin listing off names and ticking off a finger with each, "Team Vibrant, team Siren, Headmaster Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch, Qrow Branwen, Raven Branwen, Winter Schnee, General Ironwood, and me!" one pinky remained raised, "Those are all the ones I know about, anyway. The General didn't tell me about anyone else."

"My sister knows as well…?" Weiss put a hand to her chin in thought, then glanced back up, "Hold on. Who's 'Raven Branwen'? From the sounds of it, she's related to Ruby's uncle…" her face paled, "Is that Yang's _mom!?_ "

"Ummm… I see this information is new to you. Perhaps... I shouldn't have…" Penny's voice fell, her index fingers poking together uncertainly, looking between the ground and the rest of them with quick glances.

"No. It's better that you did," Weiss replied firmly, grabbing hold of Penny's hand once more, "Come on. Let's get you to Beacon. I want to hear _everything_."

The rest nodded firmly, beginning to lead Penny to the bullheads that would take them back up to Beacon. Whoever this girl was…

She had a lot of explaining to do.


	30. For Being You

The airship touched down on the Vale port tarmac, doors opening with an airy whoosh to allow the passengers to step out. Blake yawned and hopped lightly down on to the ground below, her ears twitching as the general hubbub and commotion of Vale's busy streets grew louder once the doors no longer muffled it.

Yang hopped down next to her and grinned, sharing in a smile before taking the lead and heading into the crowd around them. Blake kept close, walking nearly on Yang's heels as she carved a blond headed trail through the mass of other students that were going to Vale on the weekend. After a handful of seconds, the sea of students finally parted, allowing Blake to step up next to her teammate instead and walk side by side.

"So, what first?" Yang asked, sending a sideways glance in Blake's direction. Her eyes returned to roaming the crowds around them, helping to steer them in the path of least resistance.

"What do you mean? We're getting me new workout clothes and then finding a bookstore, right?"

Yang scoffed, "I'm feeling like… Rocky Road. What about you?"

' _...Rocky Road…?_ ' "We're getting ice cream?" Blake frowned.

"You can't shop on an empty stomach!" Yang raised a hand as she said it, index finger pointing up as if this was some great lesson she was passing along.

"I think that only matters when you're buying groceries, not clothes and books…"

Yang waved a hand dismissively, "Semantics! I know a great place a few streets down," she eyed Blake, measuring her reaction, "It _is_ on the way…"

Blake sighed with a soft smile of her own. ' _Why not?_ ' "Alright Yang, you win. Lead the way."

Yang beamed and grasped her hand tightly, pulling her through the crowds that were making use of the same general thoroughfare. Blake didn't bother protesting the contact, but even still, her spirits fell a bit. She couldn't help but wonder that, if she'd done things differently… ' _Would that be Violet pulling me along?_ '

Soon enough, Yang was stopping to open a door for her, bell jangling melodically to announce their presence. They stepped inside to be met with a line, backed up nearly to the door itself and leaving only enough space to allow people to leave once they were done. Blake moved out of the way of a couple that had just finished up grabbing their orders. The man walked with his arm slung over the girl's shoulder, both giddily exiting back out into the warm summer day.

Looking more closely, Blake could spot many different couples standing in line, all sharing in some various form of contact while they waited to get to the front and make their orders. It only served to drop her heart even further in her chest, listening to their laughter and happiness, ' _Maybe this wasn't the best place to go…_ '

Yang seemed to pick up on Blake's mood, spotting her lowered ears and slumped shoulders. Her face flickered, perhaps the same thought going through her head while staring at the faunus. Yang bit her lip, eyes darting to the glass door and back outside as she fought with herself.

Focusing on Yang and forgetting the couples in the room, Blake forced herself to calm down. With a step forward and a bump into Yang's side, she turned her head to look up at the flavor menu listed out above the counter, "I was always more a mint-chocolate chip fan myself."

Yang's uncertainty vanished, replaced with an easy smile as she followed Blake's eyes to the menu, "Is that so? Ruby would always order chocolate chip cookie dough and finish before we'd even had time to walk back outside. I always ordered Rocky Road because she hated it," Yang smiled, a far off look in her eye while she was overcome with nostalgia, "Kept her from trying to steal some of mine," she shrugged, "It grew on me and became my favorite eventually."

Blake smiled, imagining a younger Ruby quickly devouring an entire ice cream cone and looking to her older sister with hope-filled eyes, "That sounds like Ruby."

The line shuffled forward and the two followed along with it. Blake's smile twinged towards a frown, but she shrugged off the negative emotions that came along with her next question, "What do you think Violet likes?"

Yang scoffed, "I don't see her tying herself down to any specific flavor. If anything, she'd want to try something new every time just for the 'experience' of it."

Blake frowned, "Everyone has to have a _favorite_ though, right?"

Yang shrugged, "Couldn't possibly tell you what it is. There's a lot of things I've realized recently… about Violet and…" her words trailed off into silence for a few moments as they stepped forward, following the line. The bell jingled once more as another happy couple left, wrapped in each other's arms, "I'm sorry things went down the way they did, Blake. I knew you liked Violet, but never stopped to consider what _she_ might have wanted. I was… just trying to help."

Blake smiled sadly, "Better than leaving me to my own devices. I'd still be pining after her with no clear plan in mind for months without realizing she didn't feel the same way I did," Blake stared at the floor uncomfortably, "I thought she was interested because of how much attention she was giving me and my," her ear twitched, "...issues."

"Her loss, honestly," Yang chipped in with a hesitant smirk.

A small giggle escaped Blake's lips despite her current mood, "You could put it that way. I think I'm the one losing out more, though."

Yang punched her on the shoulder lightly as the final couple in line finished up their orders, allowing the two to step up to the counter, "There's no one I'd rather be hanging out with more."

Blake's cheeks heated, turning away to hide her face as Yang ordered for the both of them, easily remembering what Blake had wanted to choose for herself. A couple minutes and four scoops of ice cream later, the two exited the shop to the tune of that same jingle, enjoying the tasty treats held in their hands.

Blake's mind was busy with the words that Violet had said to her, and with a glance in Yang's direction, figured she may be doing the same. For whatever reason, their leader wanted to play matchmaker in putting the two together. Blake could only guess that she'd implanted the same thoughts into Yang as well, considering how the blond had been acting all morning and the day previous, ' _Ever since their little rendezvous in the dorm…_ '

Without being overtly obvious, Yang had definitely been dropping subtle hints, the comment in the ice cream shop only being the most recent. While the idea of moving on so soon from Violet wasn't one she approved of, the blond's presence was a far cry from being unwanted. Unlike the protectiveness that Violet gave off, Yang projected warmth and confidence, like a hearth you would cuddle up next to on a cold night to keep the fear of the dark at bay.

In her own private thoughts, Blake could admit to sending one or two prolonged glances in Yang's direction when she changed, ' _J-just a few times…_ ' The blond brawler was beyond fit, physically appealing in a completely different way from Violet, but _appealing_ nonetheless, ' _And we're friends…_ ' Over the past week of training, the two had become far closer. There were things Blake had admitted to Yang that even Violet didn't know, or at least _hoped_ she didn't, ' _You can never tell with that girl._ '

"Cat got your tongue?" Yang piped up after a few blocks, the pair of them heading unmistakably towards the shopping district of Vale. Yang had finished the majority of her ice cream cone, and popped the last of it into her mouth with a grin, finger trailing back out from between her glistening lips.

Blake felt a familiar heat building in her cheeks and turned to look forward, "I uh, was thinking about… things. You know how it is."

Yang continued to grin, "Yes. I _too_ have thoughts," she nudged Blake with an elbow, "Care to share with the class?"

For a moment, Blake thought Yang meant she wanted to try her ice cream and her cheeks reddened further, only for her to realize she meant what Blake was _thinking_. She breathed out quickly, trying to get her head straight by giving it a little shake, ears perking back up atop her head, "Well, to avoid either of us making the same mistake as I already did, I suppose it would be better to get things out in the open…" Blake glanced to Yang and coughed once into her hand, preparing for the question she wanted to ask, "Do you… like me, the same way I liked Violet?"

With her eyes locked onto Blake's, Yang gave a single, firm nod.

' _O-okay! Now that's out of the way…!_ ' Blake's lip twitched into a small smile along the corner, "How, um... long?"

"Hmmm," Yang put a finger to her chin, "Around the time we started working out together, I think? I definitely noticed you in… _that_ way… the first time we met in the forest, but Violet was so quick to start helping you out that I didn't want to get in the way. I didn't fully realize until yesterday, during my talk with Violet. She made me list off reasons why she should like you, but they mostly came out as reason why _I_ did…"

"A-and what were those?" Blake asked for curiosity's sake alone, ' _Yup! That's why! No other reason!_ '

"Uh-um," Yang stumbled over her words. Blake caught the tiny glance that the blond sent to the top of her head before she shrugged noncommittally, "Just general stuff, like hanging out together."

Blake raised an eyebrow, seeing a hint of red dusting the brawler's cheeks. Her ears twitched frantically on top of her head, with Blake struggling to make the words she wished to say actually leave her mouth. It ended up being slightly breathless and forced, not quite the teasing tone she'd wanted to use, "Y-you like my ears?...~"

' _How does Violet tease so easily!?_ ' Blake screamed in her mind, entering panic mode as Yang's eyes drifted more purposefully to the ears twitching on her head.

"Um, I mean, I don't know if it's racist to say it…" Yang stuttered at first, choking on the words she was trying to say. Her resolution firmed when Blake's ears froze, perked as tautly as they could possibly go, "But your ears are… so _cute._ "

Blake's hand drifted subconsciously up to cup overtop one of her ears, feeling the nonhuman appendage and hiding it from view, ' _I… never expected a human to like them…_ ' only her parents had ever complimented her ears. Blake thought all humans would see them as an oddity, something to be removed… She'd thought Violet was exclusive in that regard, but apparently...

"You really mean that…?"

In lieu of words, Yang nodded fiercely, eyes caught on Blake's ears. The blond's hand drifted up, softly taking hold of Blake's own, fingers intertwining to pull it away and down to their sides. Blake's ear popped back up into view, both now perked as her attention was pulled away to the hand holding hers.

With Yang still staring and surprisingly delicate fingers holding her own, Blake smirked, feeling her courage return now that the blond's attention was wholly diverted, "My eyes are down here, Yang~"

"S-sorry!" Yang pulled her hand free to rub the back of her head, ruffling her long hair, " _Was_ that racist!? I didn't mean it that way!"

Blake laughed, "You're fine, Yang. It's the same as me complimenting you on your figure," she stammered, "N-not that I've looked!"

Yang rolled her eyes, "How could you not? I'm _hot_ , kitty cat, and I don't mean when I'm using my semblance~ I bet even Violet's peeked once or twice."

Blake begrudgingly accepted Yang's own assessment of herself. There was no denying the blond was the best looking girl in their year, aside from maybe Pyrrha. Blake had always liked yellow more than red anyway. A thought occurred to Blake, mind wrapping around the end of Yang's statement, "What do you think I was missing? What _does_ Violet want?" she shrugged awkwardly, "I can't help but feel like I just wasn't enough…"

Yang scoffed, "A black cat crossing your path brings bad luck, so don't get in your _own_ way by doubting yourself, alright? It's not about whether or not you were 'enough'. Violet didn't want something _more_ , just… different," the blond shrugged, looking ahead of them towards the quickly approaching store, "What that might be, I haven't the slightest clue."

"That was… oddly inspirational," Blake admitted slowly, eyes looking to Yang with a newfound respect, "How long did it take you to come up with that one?"

Yang laughed, "It's part of a backlog. There's a _lot_ more where that came from, kitty cat~"

"I can't wait," Blake replied sarcastically, stepping up to the clothing store's door to hold it open for Yang. The blond grinned and walked past into the much cooler interior. Blake could hear the metallic scraping of hangers being pushed along racks, and the voices of the many other patrons currently in the store.

It was a fairly sized establishment, bereft of the finery you might see in more high end stores. Blake had tried going in one once and hadn't liked it. Who wanted an attendant measuring you and potentially asking personal questions about your little black bow? The employees here kept an eye out around the store, offering assistance where it seemed necessary, but otherwise leaving the customers to their own devices.

Blake stepped inside behind Yang and scanned the room, spotting the large sign from the ceiling announcing where the womens' section began and ended. It was currently being picked through by several other women. Blake and Yang entered the fray and began searching through the various outfits on display.

After a few minutes, Yang held up a tank top and pair of shorts, partially modeling them by holding them against herself and looking Blake up and down, "What do you think? Cute, comfortable, and very you."

Blake eyed the clothes with a discerning gaze. The shorts were elastic, black trimmed in white. The tank top was also black, though it would leave a hefty amount of her midriff exposed. Yang held them out to her and ushered her towards the dressing room.

"You'd better come back out with them on!"

Blake grumbled something unintelligible as she was thrust into an open room, door pushed closed behind her. She reached over and locked it before turning back to the mirror. Blake held up the garments as Yang had, looking at herself in the mirror.

' _I have to admit… This would look good._ '

A minute later, she was stripping them back off, entirely red in the cheeks and feeling very hot, ' _No way can I walk out in those!_ '

"Hey, hey, hey!" Blake could hear Yang closing in on the door as she spoke, "You aren't changing back, are you? I haven't seen yet!"

"If you grabbed a size that fit me _properly_ then I would have!" Blake argued back, pulling her regular outfit back on.

"What!? I picked that out just for you!"

"It was two sizes too _small_ , Yang! I could s-see-..." Blake cut off, burying her face in her hands at the mental image, "G-Go grab me the right size, or we're going back to Beacon!"

"Woah, okay!" Yang's footsteps slowly backed away, "Let's not get _hasty_ now. I'll be right back!" her footsteps quickly receded into the general din from the rest of the customers. After a few minutes, she returned to hold the same outfit out from overtop the dressing room door.

Blake grabbed the pair of garments and checked the sizes this time, breathing out a sigh of relief when they were actually her size. Blake once more undressed and changed into the correctly sized outfit, checking herself out in the mirror once it was finally on. As she'd thought previously, and now with a pair that were _properly_ sized, ' _I really do look good…_ '

Blake mentally prepared herself before stepping out. Her eyes found Yang immediately, waiting on the bench nearby that was there for exactly that purpose. The blond's eyes drifted up and down Blake's body, her lips parting to let out a low, appreciative whistle.

Blake blushed, eyes darting around to see a few others staring off towards them. Her eyes cut back to Yang, narrowing in accusation while she whispered fiercely, " _Yang!_ Don't draw attention like that!"

Yang let her eyes scan across the room and back to Blake, giving her a half-hearted shrug, "What's wrong with people being a little jealous?~"

Blake shrank beneath the eyes of the store's other patrons and hurried back into the dressing room to change, ' _Yang doesn't get it! What human would?_ ' That many eyes on her was unnerving, spitting in the face of years trying to avoid that type of attention. Faunus didn't like the spotlight. Having it only invited the gaze of racists, and Blake was far from ready to take that step.

' _Violet would have understood…_ ' Blake thought, pausing in the midst of putting her shirt back on for the pain in her chest to go away.

Once she'd finished, Blake walked back out, giving Yang only a brief wave to follow before heading straight to the register. She set the pair of clothes down on the counter along with the detached hangers and dug into her pocket for her lien, hesitant to meet the cashier's gaze.

"What's the rush?" Yang caught up next to her, frowning down at the lien in her hand, "Blake, I brought _you_ along. I wanted this to be a gift… as uh, thanks…"

"Thanks for what…?"

Yang's eyes flinched off of Blake's own, going anywhere else around the room aside from back to the faunus's face, "For being you, I guess…"

Yang's admission cut through Blake's agitation like a hot knife through butter, melting away her fear and turning it into a bewildered laugh that surprised Yang. She sighed after a few seconds, putting her lien back in her pocket, "Is that really something to celebrate? You know what I used to be."

"Doesn't matter."

"But-"

"I said it doesn't matter, Blake. Not to me," Yang pulled out her own lien and set it on the counter. The cashier accepted it, and the two teammates walked back out into the busy street, "If everyone judged everyone else on every little mistake they made, no one would be happy with anyone else ever."

"I wouldn't call joining the White Fang a 'little' mistake, Yang."

"All mistakes are when you're inexperienced and don't know any better," Yang argued, beginning to lead them deeper into the crowd and into the portion of the district that was more heavily populated with small shops, a bookstore hopefully among them, "You're older now, and you've figured out that what you were doing was wrong, even if it _was_ for the right reasons. No one can fault you for any of it. If they try, they'll find themselves on the receiving end of my fists."

"You're going to beat up every racist we come across?"

"Yup."

Blake sighed, shaking her head, "That isn't what I want, Yang. I left the White Fang _because_ of the violence. You can't solve all my problems by hitting them into submission. Then how would we be any better than the White Fang?"

"Fine," Yang replied confidently, "I'll make them see how wrong they are with my words. I can't promise not to get a little loud, though."

The two were silent for a time, both staying on the lookout for anything resembling a bookstore. It was Blake's sharper eyes that first spotted the bookstore's graphic posted up above the shop. A pen and quill sat next to an open book, ink spilled partially on the pages where the bookstore's name, 'The Reading Den', was easily visible.

"Shall we?" Yang held an arm out, gesturing Blake inside while pressing the door open with her other hand.

Blake paused in place, smelling the thick aroma of fresh paper and ink. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the literal atmosphere before letting her feet guide her way inside. The one story building was tall, reaching up nearly fifteen feet high and stacked along every wall with bookshelves that took full advantage of that fact. The open space was interrupted by isle after isle of more bookshelves, taken up by the occasional peruser hefting an interesting book or three off said shelves.

"So, I should just pick out anything I want?" Yang asked idly, eyes roaming the copious amount of books available with a daunted expression on her face.

"Y-yeah, you go do that," Blake replied distractedly, running her fingers lightly down a line of books to feel the different textures with each. Her hands paused on one that had been sleeker than the others, and she tugged it out to begin reading the synopsis. While she held true to the idea that you shouldn't _visually_ judge a book by its cover, there was something about a good book that you could _feel_ with a touch. It was a tactic that had led her to many of her favorites, and she would swear by it if ever the time arose.

Yang left her to it, wandering off to find another section to look through while Blake did her thing. The faunus tucked the book she'd already grabbed beneath one arm and started the process over again, eventually pulling out quite a few after several minutes had passed.

Yang's voice pulled her out of her search, though it was not to Blake that she was speaking. Down towards the end of the isle, long blond hair swishing in and out of sight, Yang spoke in heated whispers with someone else.

"You shouldn't judge someone like that just because of what they look like! Blake is a really nice girl, and a _huntress!_ She's training to protect people, people like you! And yet here you are, wondering whether or not you should tell the manager because you think she's going to _walk out_ with all those books? How _dare_ you!?"

Another woman's voice spoke quietly, blustering and stammering, "Look, I-I didn't mean it _quite_ that way. You can never tell when a faunus is up to no good! That's all I meant!"

"Lady, I've met more humans that were up to no good than I can count on two hands. Whether or not someone is a _faunus_ makes no difference. It's exactly this kind of racism that makes them act out in the first place. How would you feel if you were harassed like that just for wanting to buy a few books!?"

"I-I'm sorry, okay? I won't mention it again…"

"Good. Now get out and leave us in peace."

There was the sound of feet quickly shuffling on the carpeted floor before a large red-headed woman passed through the isle nearest Blake, heading for the door. She sent one furtive glance back over her shoulder, paling when she saw Blake's eyes on her, and exited the shop in a rush.

Yang popped around the corner a few seconds later, holding a book in a white knuckle grip while the color slowly drained from her cheeks, returning to their natural tinge. Yang put on a smile and hefted the book up so that Blake could see, "Found one. Were you ready to leave, or did you want to look around a bit more?"

Blake smiled, practiced enough to read the title along the spine in only that brief moment. 'Faunus Customs and Traditions: 101 Ways to Keep the Peace'

"No, that's alright. Let's get out of here."

Yang nodded happily and the two walked to the counter. Blake noticed Yang reaching into her pocket to pay once more and laid a hand across her arm, "I've got it this time."

"Really? You already have your own books, though. Sure you don't want me to pay?"

"Of course not," Blake smirked, "I invited you here, didn't I?"

Yang smiled in return, "Oh~? And what did I do to deserve this~?"

Blake set her lien down on the counter and grabbed the bag full of books, spinning around to face away from Yang and hide the heartfelt smile twisting her lips, "For being you, I suppose."

Yang opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by her scroll ringing. She dipped her hand into her pocket and raised it up, pulling the sides apart. The video connected, revealing Weiss along with the rest of her team and another ginger girl behind them that Blake didn't recognize. They appeared to be standing in their dorm room, with Ren and Pyrrha trying to calm down the nervous stranger.

"Hey! Get back to Beacon. I know we weren't supposed to do anything over the weekend, but Pyrrha stumbled upon something important…something..." doubt crept across her face, and her eyes glanced to Yang with a nervous frown, "Just get here, alright? We'll talk more when you're back."

"Did you already let Violet know?" Yang asked quickly, getting the question in before Weiss could end the call.

"Yes. She's on her way back with Ruby now. Hurry up," she turned to look over her shoulder, voice dropping low, "I don't know how long we can keep this girl around and willing to talk. She's been very standoffish ever since the first thing she revealed…"

Yang and Blake nodded in unison, "We're on our way. See you there," Yang ended the call, and Blake hefted the bag of books higher on her shoulder.

"Ready to go?"

"Let's see what this is all about."

* * *

Violet crawled back into bed with a huff and stayed there for as long as she could after Nora had woken her, saying she needed to come over and help in the Siren dorm right away, ' _Freeze Ren's legs? Maybe i'll have to do something about the two of them soon as well. Not like I can get us all the way to Kuroyuri from here anytime soon, though… I'll see what I can do._ '

She buried herself into her pillow, using a tiny amount of her powers to cool the side her face rested against. Violet had been having a _good_ dream again, and despite having no recollection whatsoever of what it had been about, still yearned to fall back into its awaiting clutches.

Alas, it was not to be, as only a handful of minutes later, Yang and Blake began getting ready to head out. Ruby woke as well, hopping lightly down off her top bunk to land in front of Violet in her pajamas, turned away with a hand reaching up beneath the bottom hem of her shirt to scratch her stomach.

Violet yawned and sat up, incapable of drifting off with the constant scrape and bustle of hairbrushes being set down, dressers being opened and closed, and footsteps drumming against the wooden floor. With a quick flick, she pulled her blanket off herself from the corner and slipped out to sit on the edge, watching the rest of her team getting ready while silently pondering what she wanted to do with her day.

' _We're heading out to the movies later, but until then…?_ '

A vibration from her scroll answered her question for her. Violet picked it up off the corner of the bookshelf and swiped it open, looking at the email that had been sent to her. It was an order confirmation from the SDC, giving an address for pickup along with a written apology for the delay, and a ten percent deduction in the cost of the dust cells she'd ordered.

' _How thoughtful… considering I was the one that blew them up in the first place._ '

Not that the SDC was aware of that. If they were, she would have been forced to look elsewhere for a supplier, and likely would have been sent a bill instead of an order confirmation. There wasn't really any alternative aside from the SDC. Violet had tried getting into contact with the business that Flynt Coal's father owned when she was first trying to outsource the job, only to find out it had been a few years since it was shut down.

Blake and Yang headed to the door after getting ready, the former heading out into the hall without a word, and Yang turning around to give Violet a tentative thumbs up. She returned the gesture with more assurity along with a confident smile. The blond's spirits rose, and she gave a firm nod before closing the door behind herself.

That left Ruby as the sole other occupant. Violet could hear her in the bathroom, door slightly ajar and tap running while the sounds of brushing teeth could be made out. Violet stood up to stretch and then headed to her dresser, piecing together an outfit for the short outing she planned on making. It was a simple ensemble, created to combat the early summer heat that she could feel radiating through the window.

Before long, Violet was standing in the bathroom next to Ruby, both fixing their hair up. Violet wore a thin, purple spaghetti strap shirt that left a small amount of her midriff exposed, and a short black skirt with thin black tights. With a quick spin, Violet was delighted to see the back edge of the skirt almost revealing what lay above her thighs.

Violet didn't know why, but she'd woken up that morning feeling like she wanted to show off a bit more than usual. There was a desire to feel sensual, a feeling she had not had since… ' _When_ _ **was**_ _my last time…?_ ' Judging by the way Ruby's cheeks brightened and she quickly excused herself from the bathroom, Violet was glad to see she'd been successful in her endeavor.

The team leader exited a minute later, hair finally in order, and searched through her dresser to find the small satchel with its black leather strap that she tightened around her upper thigh. She didn't own a purse, and the current clothes she was wearing definitely didn't have pockets for her scroll or lien.

With a glance up into the bunk above her own, Violet could see that Ruby was reading the book she'd originally created for Blake, "How are you liking it so far, Little Red?"

"It's really good!" Ruby answered excitedly, showing off that she was already a good portion of the way through, "I've been reading it before bed whenever I can and it's hard to put down."

"Glad to hear," Violet smiled, "Mind tearing yourself away from it for a bit to head down into Vale with me, though? My replacement order from the SDC finally arrived and I needed to go pick it up. Seeing as _someone_ ," she flashed Ruby a grin to show that she was only joking, "was the one that used most of them in the first place, it's only fair that they help out, right?"

"O-of course!" Ruby replied, saving her place in the book before hopping back down. She'd opted to wear her usual, black and red corset with a similarly colored skirt, a red cape, and tall black combat boots over grey tights. Ruby dusted off her skirt when she landed and grabbed Crescent Rose, slinging it against her lower back.

Violet eyed Zenith leaning up against the corner of the bookshelf and decided not to bring it. With Emerald and Mercury gone, she sincerely doubted that Cinder would be attempting any large scale moves any time soon, and her modest skills at hand to hand would be more than enough for the average grunt-level threat. With a flick of her hair to the side, Violet opened the door for Ruby and stepped out after her, the two beginning the walk down to the bullheads.

"So, what are you liking most about it so far?" Violet asked, resuming their conversation about the book.

"Oh! The goddess is so cool~!" Ruby gushed, closing her hands into fists and raising them to her chest, "The way she took down that flying behemoth with a single shot through its eye!?" Rose petals fell from Ruby as she zipped ahead, striking a pose as if holding up a bow and aiming down it at a distant target, "She was all like, 'I won't let you hurt my friends!', and the dragon was all like, getting ready to breath fire on the group, and she released the arrow at the last moment, and-!"

Ruby continued to ramble on about the exploits detailed in the book. Violet could only walk along and smile, glad to hear that she was enjoying them so much and not looking for any deeper meaning to it as Blake had.

"Oh-oh, and then!" Ruby dropped the pretend bow to reach behind her back and pull out a pair of invisible daggers, voice dropping to a mysterious whisper, "Her constant companion, Ser-"

Violet's head swam, the world around her twisting in place as she slowed, holding a hand over the sudden ache pounding in her skull. As fast as it had appeared... it was gone, leaving Ruby none the wiser as she continued to regale Violet with tales from 'The Lonely Goddess'.

Violet breathed out a ragged sigh, letting her hand fall back down to her side and quickened her pace, catching back up with the excited girl currently in the midst of reenacting… ' _What?_ ' Violet couldn't remember what part of the book she was supposed to be describing, but from the look of things, Ruby was busy laying waste to a group of enemies while wielding a pair of daggers.

Violet frowned. She didn't often use two daggers to fight. It had always felt odd, out of place, and meant for other people but not herself. She shrugged, hardly bothered by it. Violet hadn't exactly paid attention to her own omniscience when creating the book. If there were a few things she'd forgotten about, then it hardly mattered. As long as Ruby was liking it, that was good enough for her.

Soon enough, the two were stepping onto a bullhead and heading down into Vale. Ruby inhaled sharply, catching her breath now that she'd run out of things to describe in the book. She gave a small laugh and rubbed the back of her head, "That's how far I've gotten, anyway. I'm really loving it!"

"Good to hear, Little Red," Violet replied truthfully, ruffling her hand through the younger girl's hair. For once, Ruby didn't seem to mind, and just accepted the normally undesired affection with a cheeky smile.

"Anything you wanted to do today?" Violet asked, glancing out the windows to Vale below. The city lay sprawled out beneath them, a wavy haze rising from the heat wafting its way up the streets.

Ruby put a finger to her chin, tapping idly in thought, "Well, we have the movie later with everyone, and we're going out to visit my dad tomorrow, so…" she shrugged, "Do you want to help me pick out a gift for him?"

Violet smirked, "What, like a 'thanks for raising me and my sister, it must have been so difficult because we're such handfuls' sort of gift?"

"You know us so well~" Ruby giggled, beginning to hum lightly while she thought of a retort, "More like a 'sorry we aren't around and you're all alone at home with Qrow' gift, though."

Violet grinned, "And what kind of a gift is that?"

Ruby shrugged, "I don't know, like a blender or something?"

Violet laughed for a few seconds before she could speak, fading out into smaller fit, "Surely you can do better, Little Red?"

Ruby shook her head, "No, he's been wanting a new one for a while. Yang wore out his old blender with all the protein shakes she used to make."

"Well then, I guess we're just going to have to make up for it with a top of the line model," Violet nodded, eagerly hopping out of the bullhead as it touched down and holding her skirt down as she did. She wanted to feel sensual, not flash an entire crowd of students and civilians alike.

Ruby hopped out next to her and the two made way for the rest of the students that had joined them on the flight, many wanting to enjoy their weekend between semesters to the best of their abilities. Ruby trailed along behind initially, following in Violet's wake as she forged ahead through the gathered mass. Eventually, the crowd thinned and the two of them were able to walk side by side once more.

The trip to the SDC storage facility was thankfully short, the two huntresses arriving in a scant few minutes to stand outside the large white complex near the middle of main street. The building rose up three stories tall, and was afforded more space to either side than any of the other structures next to it. There were no windows along the upper floors, only a singular reinforced glass pane on the bottom that allowed a line of sight into the shop itself.

Violet and Ruby stepped inside, the younger huntress gawking at the sheer size of some of the dust crystals on display. Chunks of crystal of all colors were arranged like a rainbow along the bottom of the front counter, their smaller counterparts set above them for actual purchase. Ruby pressed up against the glass with her nose to stare at the unrefined dust ore, chunks of impurities clearly visible within.

"Ah, hah, yes," the attendant behind the counter made a gesture as if to shoo away Ruby, then raised his eyes back up to Violet, "How may I be of service?" he glanced down at Ruby, "Intending to buy some ammunition for your younger friend here?"

Violet smirked and pulled out her scroll to slide it in front of him on the counter, order number apparent along with the sizable request she had made, "No, I'm here for me. My order was supposed to have come in today?"

The man's eyes widened in surprise at the five digit figure on the scroll and changed his demeanor immediately, appearing far more placating, "Oh, why yes, of course! I'll be right back out!" he backed away until he reached the door behind him, then turned to place his palm on the ID scanner. With a loud beep, the door slid open to allow him entry and closed the instant he'd crossed the threshold.

Violet took a minute to wander around the shop, looking at the stock they had on display. Powdered dust in tubes, standard for packing your own custom ammunition, refined crystals of all shapes and sizes. They were still managing to stay well maintained despite Roman's best efforts, though the shop itself didn't show any signs of an attempted ransacking.

"Why does it have all that stuff in it?" Ruby asked, still looking down at the unrefined crystals with a frown.

"They impurities," Violet walked over to stand next to her, looking down at the crystals mixed with various stone, each nearly a foot in diameter, "When they mine dust, they're cutting around rock to get to it. The crystals themselves can form in all shapes and sizes, depending on the heat and pressure that went into making them. They wanted to show off how large of crystals they usually manage to find, so they're showing them off here without cutting them," she shrugged, "About that much dust goes into each of my lightning dust cells for Zenith."

Ruby whipped around to stare up at Violet, "What!? How do they fit all that into," she held her fingers close together, "such a small object?"

"Part of the refining process. It's a fairly new technique, only discovered within the last few years. By using additional pressure, they can compact the dust itself further. Once it's in that stage, though, it becomes extremely volatile. The cell's casing is lined with a tiny amount of gravity dust to keep the crystal inside from touching it's own container. Part of the reason they're so damn expensive, but… it's worth it for what I get out of Zenith."

"And you still managed to build it like that?" Ruby whispered in awe, then shifted into a teasing laugh, "You're a _nerd_ , Violet."

Violet laughed along, "I don't want to hear that coming from the _other_ weapon nut in the room. At least I only fawn over Zenith instead of other people's weapons~"

"I can't help it! They're all so cool!" Ruby replied in dismay.

The door to the back opened once more, and the attendant struggled out, hefting a decently sized leather pouch. The top was flopped over to hold the contents within, a tight leather strap binding it down so that it wouldn't open. The man carried it in both arms, holding it close and breathing heavily with sweat dripping from his brow. Seeing the potential hazard if he placed it down atop the glass counter as is, Violet reached a hand out.

The mass was removed as Violet took hold of the pouch's leather handle, easily pulling it up and away from the attendant's hold, "Thank you, sir~"

"Of course, my dear. The SDC is happy to have your patronage," he wheezed out, holding himself up against the counter with both hands to steady himself, "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I think I'm good for now," Violet looked to Ruby who nodded in return, "Have a nice day~!" the two exited back out onto the busy street, looking either way to get their bearings once more.

"Know a place to get that blender?"

"Yup! It's right down the street. Just a left, then a right, then-"

Ruby was cut off as Violet's scroll buzzed in the pouch on her thigh. She held up a finger to gesture for Ruby to wait a moment before digging it out and accepting the call.

Her heart dropped at what appeared on screen, ' _I forgot about Penny! Dang it! So much has been happening recently…_ '

"Violet!" Weiss said in a fierce whisper, face closing in to the scroll to hide what she was saying, "We found a girl out in Vale that says she's from Atlas, and she knows Ironwood!"

Violet raised an eyebrow, pretending to be shocked, and Weiss nodded, "Yeah, _that_ Ironwood. We're trying to talk her into saying more, but she just keeps saying she doesn't know anything and hiccuping a lot. Can you get back here and help?"

"I'll be right there," Violet hung up the call as Weiss opened her mouth to say something else. Whatever it was, she'd hear about it when she arrived. In the meantime, she needed to get their soon and make sure Penny didn't accidentally spill more than was necessary.

' _How did Penny…_ ' the connection became apparent in Violet's mind. This was the weekend where the attack on the docks should have normally taken place. With that out of the way, and with Weiss being the leader of Siren instead of a member of team RWBY, she'd led the others down into Vale to scope out rival students and bumped into Penny in the process.

' _Which means Sun is around somewhere…_ ' Violet's mood brightened somewhat, ' _At least one piece of good news. I always liked that lovable idiot._ '

Violet turned back to Ruby and gave her an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Little Red. I'm sure we can stop by the store on the way out to Patch tomorrow. You cool with that?"

Ruby smiled to hide her disappointment and raised a hand, trying to imitate a wave, "I'm _always_ cooool~"

Violet laughed, "Alright, kid. Let's get back to Beacon."

The two set off quickly, weaving their way through the crowds. Ruby, to find out what all the fuss was about in regards to the cute ginger girl. Violet, to make sure said ginger didn't get in trouble.


	31. Penny For Your Thoughts

The halls were relatively deserted as Violet and Ruby quickly made their way back to the dorm, most students likely out in Vale or visiting family for the weekend. Arriving at the Siren dorm, Violet raised a knuckle to rap against the door twice. Though she tried to hide it, her mind was fluttering with the different possible truths that Penny may have revealed to their sister team.

Weiss opened the door for them, stepping to the side and revealing the scene to the two of them. Penny sat on Nora's bed, sandwiched between Pyrrha and Nora while Ren stood behind them, a hand on Penny's shoulder. Violet could see a small flicker of grey passing over the robot's body intermittently, calming her emotions while the others ran distraction.

"Oh my, you weren't kidding, friend Nora! These cats are adorable!" Penny smiled, staring down at the scroll being held in front of her, "I am glad you showed them to me."

Weiss closed the door quietly behind them and leaned over to Violet to whisper, "Her name is Penny. We found her down in Vale near the docks while she was looking for Beacon. As far as we've been able to get out of her, she really wanted to meet you for some reason," Weiss raised an eyebrow questioningly at the end.

Violet frowned and shrugged, "Never met her, even if she is from Atlas. Have you?"

"Winter never mentioned her, and I've never seen her personally either. She's…" Weiss's eyes drifted back off to Penny, giddily watching the next video that Nora had queued up, "...strange, to say the least," she glanced back at Ruby with a hint of hesitation and then to Violet, "Penny listed off all the people that know about you being a maiden. Yang's _mom_ was one of them."

' _Raven knows…?_ ' Violet pondered it for a moment, not taking long to figure out why, ' _Her little rule. Raven must have sensed Yang's panic at the docks and seen what I did there,_ ' she sighed, ' _This is_ _ **not**_ _a good way for the truth about her to come out to Yang…_ '

"I'll take it from here," Violet announced confidently, stepping past Weiss and gaining the attention of the ginger on the bed. Penny's gaze shifted up to spot Violet, green eyes widening slightly.

Nora was knocked to the side as Penny jumped off the bed to move forward and hold her hand out, "Violet Regalia! I was hoping to meet you! Team Siren has been most kind in keeping me company until your arrival. My name is Penny Polendina!"

Violet gingerly held out her own hand, preparing for the overzealous shake that was sure to come. To her surprise though, Penny's reaction remained more relaxed, grasping her hand with one of her own and cupping the back of it with another. She smiled sweetly, "I would like to make a request!"

Violet's brow furrowed in confusion, "If it's something that I can do, then sure, Penny," she raised an eyebrow, "What do you need?"

"For you to be my friend!" Penny cheered.

"I-is that all?"

"Yep!" Penny grinned fiercely, still shaking her hand.

Violet's gaze passed across the rest of those gathered, finally settling once more on Penny's hopeful eyes. She shrugged, "I can do that, but only on one condition."

Penny's hand faltered slightly, growing hesitant, "Are you going to ask me to reveal more secrets?"

Violet shook her head with a small smile, "No, Penny. Quite the opposite, actually. We wouldn't want you getting in trouble with General Ironwood, now would we? I need you to not mention Raven again, at least not around Yang, okay?"

"Violet!" Ruby hissed from the side, throwing her a disapproving glare, "Are you really going to try and keep more secrets from everyone? From Yang!?"

" _No_ ," Violet let Penny's hand fall free and turned to face the rest of those in the room, all of which were looking at her with suspicion, "But this isn't something that _we_ should tell her. Tai and Qrow need to be the ones that say it, otherwise they'll lose Yang's trust. Do _you_ want that, Ruby? It… It isn't something that Yang is going to _want_ to hear, not once she knows the truth."

"What _is_ the truth?" Weiss spoke up, taking a step forward while Ruby shuffled uncomfortably, eyes stuck to the floor.

Violet glanced to the door warily and lowered her voice, "Raven's semblance allows her to open portals to anyone she has an emotional attachment to. She could have visited Yang anytime she wanted to, but she _didn't_."

Ruby gasped, eyes widening. Weiss took a step back, raising a hand to her mouth and eyes troubled, likely thinking back on her own reclusive mother. Ren and Nora frowned disapprovingly, eyes glancing to each other. Penny shuffled awkwardly, holding her skirt by the bottom hem and eyes downcast.

"That's… that's awful!" Pyrrha recoiled with a look of disgust, "What kind of parent… It's inexcusable!"

Violet nodded, "Tai and Qrow have been hiding that from her for the longest time because they didn't want to take away what little hope she had. We don't know anything about Raven aside from that. Those two… they can explain it better than _we_ ever could. I want Yang to find out as gently as possible," her eyes roamed over the group once more, "Is that so bad?"

Collectively, each person shot a glance to the others, silently in agreement. Weiss nodded, face firming, "We aren't letting you keep it from her any longer than Sunday, though. Yang needs to be able to move on, and if it gets delayed any further… That _won't_ help her."

"Agreed," Violet replied easily, pulling her scroll out to send Qrow a message, demanding he be at the cabin tomorrow. She finished, then raised an eyebrow at Penny, "So, were they asking you anything else before I got here?"

"They wanted to know my true purpose, and were very adamant that it was not to only be your friend. It truly is! General Ironwood ordered it!"

Violet laughed, typing out something into the text box on her scroll before stepping next to Penny and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The ginger robot appeared excited by the gesture, and painstakingly began trying to figure out where to wrap her hand around Violet in kind. Meanwhile, Violet rolled her eyes to the rest of the group and gave a nod to her scroll that rested in her hand out of Penny's line of sight.

" _Bodyguard._ "

Violet turned the screen on her scroll off and used her other hand to guide Penny's arm across her back, "I almost forgot, Penny. There is _one_ more thing you're going to have to do~"

Penny grinned, finally managing to figure out the intricacies of their current embrace, "What might that be?"

"You're going to have to come watch a movie with us," she glanced towards the rest, "We're going to the theater to see a romantic comedy, right?"

Penny's face lit up as the others nodded confirmation. Her eyes widened to the extreme, and she broke away from Violet to raise her arms up higher, "Sen- _sational!_ I cannot wait to go! It will be my first time!"

Ruby brightened, seeing Penny's excitement and staring at her aghast, "You've _never_ been to a movie theater before!?"

"Never! Are they fun?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Ruby grinned sweetly, "I'm Ruby by the way. Nice to meet you, Penny!"

Penny zipped across the distance to grasp Ruby's hand, not using nearly as much self-control as she did with Violet, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance! Are we friends now?"

Ruby giggled, "Any friend of Violet's is a friend of mine," she gasped lightly, struck by an idea, "Do you want to come read with me? Violet gave me this awesome book!"

Penny glanced back at Violet uncertainly, likely told by Ironwood not to leave her side for a second, especially if the Atlesian General knew about Amber succumbing to her attackers. Violet gave her a small shooing motion with one hand, "Go ahead. I promise not to leave Beacon without you."

Ruby cheered and giddily pulled Penny along into the dorm across the hall. The door was just beginning to swing shut when Yang and Blake arrived, staring over their shoulder at the odd couple currently making their way into their shared room.

"I take it you guys got everything worked out?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing those assembled and seeing a few shared glances among them. Blake froze behind her, eyes locked on Violet in her current outfit.

Violet ignored Siren's glances and smiled confidently, "You could say that. General Ironwood tasked Penny with being my bodyguard, in a way. You two should introduce yourselves as well. No doubt she's going to be hanging around a lot, and it's better if you can all get along with her."

"You seem awfully okay with that. Do you want someone you don't even know on your heels twenty-four seven?"

Violet shrugged, "It's not as if I'm planning on sneaking off anywhere soon. Consider her an extra line of defense in making sure I keep my promise to all of you."

"Not that you would have broken it _anyway_ , right?" Yang narrowed her eyes, though she seemed to at least be half joking. There was a hint of suspicion left, not helped by the way all of Siren were avoiding eye contact with the blond brawler.

"I keep my promises, Yang," Violet replied seriously. She glanced over to Blake, noticing the girl staring down at the clothes she was wearing, "Blake can attest to that, right Blake?"

The faunus's eyes darted away, face turning bright red and ears twitching, caught in the act, "Y-yup! Keep our promises! That's what we do!"

"See?" Violet laughed at the same time her scroll began to vibrate. She shook her head, trailing off into light giggles while checking the caller ID. Her expression grew more serious, and she raised her eyes back up to the rest, "It's Ozpin. Give me a moment."

Violet accepted the call right there in front of them, clicking the button and swiveling around so that they would be visible overtop her shoulder. Ozpin's face appeared, flanked by Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood.

"Ah, Miss Regalia. It appears you may be busy, but I was hoping to have a word with you. Would you mind heading over to the tower? There are things we need to discuss."

"Anything you can't say with the rest of them here?" Violet raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. She was committed to not hiding anything from the rest, as she'd promised, ' _Aside from the obvious godhood, anyway._ '

"I would prefer to speak in person," Ozpin confessed with an apologetic smile, "Any that wish to come along, may. There are no secrets here."

' _Ha. Good one, Wizard._ '

"It may get crowded in my office with so many, though. Perhaps only a select few? The team leaders would suffice, and I could leave it up to your discretion to repeat back the information that you deemed necessary."

Violet shrugged, "I'll bring Yang as well, since I know she'll want to come," she waited for Yang to nod agreement, "We'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Miss Regalia. We shall be waiting."

The call ended, and Violet returned the scroll to her pocket.

"Was that the General?" Ren asked a moment later, a small tilt to his head, "He appeared to be an imposing man."

"That's him alright," Violet confirmed, "Weiss would probably know more about him, because of her sister and all."

"Not much, I'm afraid," Weiss confessed with some discomfort, "My sister and I don't get many chances to speak, and when we do, it is not often about her work. I get the feeling when he's brought up however that he is a strict, but _fair_ man. Winter seems to idolize him a great deal."

Violet glanced past Weiss to catch Blake staring again and smirked, "Well, let me go ahead and change before we leave. I hardly want to be showing off my thighs to the highest power in my home kingdom," Violet walked past to the door and was careful not to touch Blake, turning to look over her shoulder at Weiss, "Out in a few."

Blake's gaze trailed after Violet for a moment longer before darting back to the rest of the room.

' _Perhaps I should wait until after Blake is over me before wearing anything like this again. I don't want to make it any harder on her or Yang._ '

Three minutes later, with a less risque outfit on and her previous outfit tucked deep into her clothes drawer, Violet returned to the Siren dorm to get Weiss and Yang. Together, the three made the journey across the Beacon campus.

"Ironwood probably just wants to let us know about Penny, honestly," Violet sighed, "We could have saved ourselves a trip if they'd still been in the room."

"Still, this will give us a chance to clear the air," Weiss commented thoughtfully, "Penny didn't seem like the type to be trusted with the entire truth. What we got out of her was only by accident, really."

Violet shot Weiss a warning glance, then decided to steer them away from the topic with some mild humor, "I wonder if he'll ask me to swear loyalty to Atlas, then whisk me away to become another one of its defenders. Do you think I'd look good in an Atlesian uniform?"

Yang smirked, looking up at Violet's hair, "I don't think grey and white are really your color. Would be kind of hard keeping you low profile when you'd stand out so much," her eyes dropped to Violet's, a curious expression on her face, "Which reminds me… What was with that outfit you had on before? You trying to date my sister or something? I know the two of you were out in Vale together. I… won't say I would really disapprove… just that you might want to wait awhile for Blake to get over you..."

Violet waved a hand dismissively, "Hardly. I just… felt like dressing up a bit, I guess. It's been awhile since I let my hair down."

"Your hair is _always_ down."

"It's a figure of speech," Violet chided playfully, "I'd never think about Ruby that way."

Yang nodded with a relieved expression, "Good," then turned back, "Soooo~... what _is_ your type then? Everybody has one, and Blake obviously didn't make the cut. You've complimented me a lot, even if it was mostly jokingly…?"

Violet laughed at the unasked question, "You're a fine specimen, Yang Xiao Long. No one can deny that much. I'm afraid you're not really my type either. Nothing against you, I just…" she trailed off and shrugged uncomfortably.

"You only answered one of my questions, and it wasn't even the one I really asked in the first place. What's your type?"

' _Do I even have one?_ ' Violet frowned, trying to think back to the last time she'd had a serious relationship. Out of all the memories she managed to pull free from the thousands of lives she'd lived, all came up empty. She'd indulged in casual sex on occassion, but usually only at the behest of someone else. Violet didn't go looking for a partner, and was fine going without over the span of multiple lives.

She shrugged once more, "Sorry to be the odd woman out, but I don't have one. It's fun to tease, but when it comes down to it, I don't think of others that way."

" _Never?_ " Yang looked dumbfounded, and shook her head in confusion. Her face went a shade brighter, and she refused to meet Violet's gaze while stumbling over her words, "Have you ever… you know? Enjoyed some uh, _alone_ time?"

For as bright as Yang was, Weiss became many times more so. She hid her face in her hands before shooting a glare between her fingers at the blond brawler, "Y-Yang! That is _not_ the kind of question you ask someone else!"

Yang drew herself up defiantly, face still red, "Why not? It's perfectly natural, Ice Queen. Don't tell me your parents never told you about the birds and the bees?"

"The birds and the…?" Weiss frowned, "I have no clue what _those_ have to do with anything, but n-no. Why _would_ they? S-something like that should be saved until you're married!"

Yang laughed loudly, throwing her head back, "No way! You want to wait until you're _stuck_ with someone before finding out whether or not they're even good in the sack? That's far too long!"

Violet smirked, "I'll have to agree with Yang on this one, Weiss. As crass as she's being, she has a point," her eyes caught the blond's as Yang turned back to her, "To answer your question... No. I've never done that either."

"Wow…" Yang stared at the ground, aghast, "I guess Blake never really stood a chance then, huh?"

Violet shrugged, replying truthfully, "I offered to _try_ , but I think after hearing me out she understood how I really felt. It might have even made the rejection a little bit easier."

Yang shrugged, "A rejection is a rejection, but I get your point. It might help when you aren't being turned down for greener pastures, I suppose," she stared at Violet hard, eyes searching, "So nobody has ever caught your eye? Not in the seventeen long years you've been alive?"

' _You mean in the billions, maybe even trillions?_ ' Violet mentally shrugged, deciding to dip a toe into her own memories through her omniscience, ' _There had to have been one, right?_ '

What she found made her freeze in place, mentally and physically grinding to a halt. Violet didn't notice her friends' confused glances, nor Yang's hand when it came out to shake her shoulder worriedly. Weiss's eyes darted around the campus, hand straying to Myrtenaster in case it was the work of some semblance.

Violet was too busy staring at the gaping hole that existed in her own omniscience to care about what they were doing.

' _...What in the… How long has_ _ **that**_ _been there…?_ ' Violet tentatively reached out, feeling with her mind along the edges of the gap in her memory. A gap that by all rights, shouldn't exist.

 _Couldn't_ exist.

' _I don't use it often, and even when I do, it's only for very specific purposes and minor details…_ ' Violet hadn't fully embraced her omniscience in more life times than she could count. It was the crux of her greatest enemy. Why would she _willingly_ embrace it?

Violet summoned up her courage, and attempted to plunge into the gap. At worst, she was expecting simply nothing to be there. Instead, her conscience mind slammed up against an invisible force, locking her off from retrieving any of the memories stored within. She gasped audibly, startling her two companions.

' _The only way this could be possible is if I used my own omnipotence to do it…_ ' Violet let her mind retreat, backing carefully away from the memories she had separated herself from, " _Do I… Do I even_ _ **want**_ _to know what's in there…? If I went through all that trouble…_ '

' _I might be better off never knowing._ '

' _I'll leave it alone… for now,_ ' Violet breathed out deeply, noticing for the first time that her pulse had increased drastically, and that both Weiss and Yang had now taken on defensive stances, eyes scanning warily for any threats.

"Ummm, sorry about that," Violet rubbed her head in embarrassment, feeling a migraine beginning to work it's way into the back of her head, "I can definitively say that not in _all_ my years have I ever found someone I'd want to share it with…"

Yang and Weiss shared troubled frowns, the latter of which lowering Myrtenaster to place a hand on Violet's shoulder, "Are you feeling okay? You kind of… blanked out for a minute."

Violet rubbed a hand across her forehead, wiping away the sweat that had begun to bead there, "Oh, I'm fine," she glanced ahead to the tower that was still a block away, rising up into the sky above, "Let's not keep them waiting too long, eh?"

Despite Violet's efforts to help them relax, both Yang and Weiss remained on guard the rest of the way to the tower. They shot down Violet's attempts at conversation with simple one word answers, appearing far too preoccupied to keep up with anything beyond that. Violet gave a resigned sigh and stopped bothering. This would hopefully blow over soon enough, explained away as one of her awkward quirks.

They arrived at the tower and Violet took the lead inside, holding the door open for the other two and staring at their weapons as they passed. They got the message, Yang's shotgun bracers returning to regular bracelets and Myrtenaster being resheathed within a few seconds. The trio headed over to the elevator and stepped inside, doors immediately closing.

" _Top floor, Headmaster's office~_ "

Soon enough, the double doors were dinging open to announce their presence, the three of them stepping into the room where the more seasoned hunters waited. Glynda flashed them a stern, but calming smile. Ironwood stood a small way off to the side, hands crossed behind his back in a soldier's resting pose, while Ozpin sat behind his desk as usual, sizing the three of them up with piercing green eyes.

Ozpin stood as they approached, gesturing down to the three chairs waiting on the other side of his desk. Where he kept them up here for occasions such as this one, even Violet didn't know.

"Welcome!" Ozpin nodded to his left, "I'm certain that you all know who this is, _but_ formality is important. I'd like to introduce you all to James Ironwood, General of the Atlas military and Headmaster of the school there."

Violet nodded kindly in greeting, "General Ironwood. Little far from Atlas, don't you think? How are you liking the weather?"

Ironwood smiled lightly, "It's nicer than the constant blizzards in Atlas. Any rookie that's been stuck on patrol in the tundra could attest to that. Glad to see that two of our own are faring so well. Two team leaders from Atlas? I'm sorry you didn't choose to attend my school instead."

"Didn't want to join those rookies," Violet smirked.

Ironwood nodded acceptance, "I can't fault you for that."

"Well, now that the pleasantries are out of the way," Ozpin hid a smile behind his mug, sipping for a moment to retain a straight face, "Would you like to inform Miss Regalia of the bodyguard she is about to have?"

"Penny?" Violet interrupted, "We met her already."

"Pyrrha met her while we were down in Vale," Weiss confessed, "Penny said she was trying to get to Beacon so we brought her along. That was before we found out that she knew about Violet being a Maiden."

"I still don't agree with your decision to tell someone without Ozpin's permission, James," Glynda scoffed, shooting him an accusatory glare, "Decisions like that should be left with _all_ of us."

"Well, when I heard about the-"

Ironwood was cut off by Ozpin, who cleared his throat loudly, "Please, let us not fight in front of students," he shook his head, turning back to the trio in front of him, "I'm glad to hear that you're getting along so well. I'm afraid that either way, I was going to accept Ironwood's request in allowing Miss Polendina to accompany you, both on and _off_ school grounds. We can never be too careful, after all."

"That's fine with me," Violet replied easily, turning back to face Ironwood, "As long as the General understands that I don't need to be treated like a piece of glass that could break at any moment?" she raised her voice near the end, turning it into a question.

"I would hardly presume so much," Ironwood chuckled, "I've seen the footage of your most recent fight against Miss Nikos, as well as from the Emerald Forest. I know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself while training. The amount of damage you sustained during the attempted assassination on the other hand… That _does_ give me cause for concern."

Violet waved dismissively, "I had it under control."

Yang glared, "You could have _died_ , Vi," she held a hand up, index finger and thumb separated by a miniscule amount, "You were _this_ close to your aura breaking. I could have _sneezed_ on you and it would have been gone."

"You do have famously strong sneezes~" Violet tried to play it off, but by the expressions the rest in the room shared, knew it was a futile effort.

"Regardless, Penny will remain by your side. I'll have Ozpin add me to your contact list. If you ever have to get in touch with me for _anything_ , know that I'll respond immediately."

"A _General_ on speed dial?" Violet smirked, "Do _all_ Maidens get such first class treatment?"

Ozpin laughed, "You would be the first, I'd assume."

"I'll be sure not to abuse it. Thank you, General."

"You're welcome, Miss Regalia. In the meantime, one of my operatives will be joining you on your mission as well," his eyes planted firmly on Weiss, a smile playing at his lips, "Winter Schnee is currently working with Qrow, getting a tour of the city."

Weiss recoiled in surprise, a hesitant smile coming to her face, "Winter…? My sister is in Vale?"

"Indeed. She should have some free time tomorrow once Qrow is finished with her. I'll be sure to allow her some time away so that the two of you can catch up."

The hesitance fell away from Weiss's face, replaced by a genuine expression of happiness, "Thank you, General. I would appreciate that very much."

"Judging by your placement in Miss Goodwitch's class, you've more than earned it," Ironwood admitted, seeming pleased with himself to have brought the sisters together, "I'm sure the two of you can figure out a time."

Weiss nodded gladly, hand absentmindedly hovering over the scroll in her pocket as if she wanted to message Winter at that very moment.

Yang leaned forward, hands on her knees, "We're certainly gathering quite the crew together. Do you think the half maiden is really going to pose that much of a threat?"

Glynda and Ironwood shared a glance, words passing unspoken between the two. Ozpin sighed and weaved his fingers together in front of himself, leaning forward on his desk to mimic the seriousness of Yang's own pose, "We want to limit the chances that another Maiden might be taken from us as much as possible. We feel that the substantial group is _necessary_ for the task at hand."

Yang glanced over to Violet before returning her gaze to Ozpin, eyes firm, "If that's the case, then why not keep Vi in Beacon altogether? She's important, right? Why risk her life at all?"

" _Yang_ ," Violet began, quickly beginning to protest, "If this is to try and get back at me-"

"It's _not_ ," Yang cut her off, expression softening, "I just… wanted to make sure we aren't exposing you for no reason..."

"Unfortunately, leaving Miss Regalia out of the mission is not an option," Ozpin replied simply, "The strength of the half maiden isn't completely known. She may have gained much more of Amber's power than we think, only missing the shred of whatever's left keeping her alive. Without Violet's help, I fear you would all fail to bring her down. We may only have _one_ chance. It is a risk we must take."

Violet took her eyes off Yang to nod firmly at Ozpin, "We won't fail."

"One can only hope. Fate is not so simple that throwing together a mismatched brigade of variously skilled hunters and hunters-in-training will solve any problem. Needless to say, I wish you all the best," Ozpin looked to either side at the two adults flanking him, "Is there anything either of you wish to add?"

"Don't get complacent just because you have so many on your side with you," Glynda announced seriously, pausing a moment longer on Yang than the Weiss or Violet, "Anything can happen in the field. It's your job to assess the situation in the moment and reduce as much collateral damage as possible. Look out for your fellow hunters, and… make sure you survive whatever comes your way."

Violet could hear the slight anxious tone in Glynda's voice. No doubt she was even more afraid for them, now that their party had grown. Not for the first time, Violet wished she could do something for her, but... it was out of the question. She wasn't supposed to know about the goddess, or what her 'superiors' thought they knew about her. On the same note, it would hardly help her attempts at distancing herself from the goddess if her persona went around easing people's fears.

Ironwood shrugged, a slight lifting of the shoulders and no more, "Enjoy your weekend. I would say 'good luck in your classes', but from the grades you've received, I doubt any of you require luck."

"We are sure to study our hardest," Weiss agreed, always glad to be praised for her efforts.

Yang scoffed, "Most of us, anyway. You wouldn't believe how much time Violet spends doodling in Oobleck's class."

"As if you don't benefit from the help I give," Violet argued with a smile, "Don't be jealous of my personal tutors~"

"You _are_ frustratingly knowledgeable when it comes to history, Violet," Weiss confessed, a hint of vexation disturbing her otherwise happy smile. She glanced to Ozpin playfully, "That wouldn't happen to be another Maiden power, would it?"

Ozpin grinned, a slight glint in his eye, "Decidedly not. Miss Regalia has only her own intelligence to thank for that feat."

"Thanks, Headmaster," Violet forced a laugh, realizing they were straying dangerously close to a hint, "If that's all for today, we have a new bodyguard to get to know, and a theater to visit," when no one raised any objection, she stood from her chair, followed closely by Weiss and Yang, "Have a good day!"

"Enjoy your movie," Ozpin gave a small wave goodbye with his fingers, eyes never leaving the trio until the elevator door had long since closed.

Violet stood close to the door while Yang and Weiss leaned on either side against the railing, both deep in thought for a few moments before Weiss finally spoke up in wonder, "I really wasn't expecting to see my sister again so soon."

"I'm happy for you," Yang grinned, giving Weiss a thumbs up, "It's always nice to see your family."

Weiss gave a small huff, "Winter is the _only_ one that applies to. The rest… I'm better off staying away from them."

"Oh…" Yang deflated slightly, raising a questioning eye to Weiss, "Sorry if it's a bit personal, but… What's so bad about them?"

"Aside from my father running what amounts to slave mines for faunus and profiting off their misery?" Weiss shot back, a tinge of anger in her voice. She backed off a moment later, returning to her resting position and crossing her arms, "My mother was never around, and my brother… Father paid special attention to him after he was born. It was obvious from the beginning that Whitley was _his_ favorite. Winter got out of there as soon as she was old enough... I did the same."

"Sorry to hear that, Weiss," Yang replied truthfully, "At least you can make the most of your freedom now, right? You're doing what _you_ wanted to, not what he did?"

"You've got that right," Weiss confirmed vehemently, "and that's never going to change."

' _I hope that's the truth, Weiss,_ ' Violet thought idly, thinking on the way she was taken away, back to Atlas with her abusive father, ' _If I could instill a bit more courage into that backbone of yours, then your next interaction with him just might go the way you wish._ '

Violet sighed, "That's enough depressing talk for one day, don't you think? We've got a movie to get ready for."

"I knew you'd be excited, Vi!" Yang cheered.

"What are we seeing by the way? All I heard you and Nora say was that it's a romantic comedy."

"You heard right! We're gonna see 'Dye Hard 2: Baked Alaska'! Spruce Willis plays a character on his honeymoon, but he gets his sugar swapped on accident with cocaine and his wife bakes it into a pie he eats. Spruce has to fight off the drug cartel while keeping his wife out of the way because he promised her he wouldn't fight crime anymore. The critics say it's hilarious!"

"Blake and I are choosing the movie," Violet stated flatly, turning away to face the elevator doors once more.

"What!? Nooo!"

Violet wasn't paying attention. She'd already brought her scroll out to dial Blake's number.

"What even is an 'Alaska'?" Weiss frowned disapprovingly.

Yang took her attention off Violet for a moment to shrug, "I don't know, the kind of pie he eats?"

Weiss nodded firmly, "I agree with Violet. That sounds like a silly movie, Yang."

" _That's the entire point of a romantic comedy!_ "

Despite her best efforts, Yang had no other option but to concede halfway back to the dorms.

Violet and Blake had already picked out one of the many better options, and Violet had bought everyone a ticket online.

" _Sorry_ , Yang. They're nonrefundable~"


	32. An Act of Kindness

" _You'd better be there tomorrow. You and Tai need to tell Yang the truth about Raven, maybe even about her being the Spring Maiden… I'll leave that second part up to you. Yang deserves to know everything. No excuses, Qrow._ "

With a few muttered words about 'kids trying to tell their elders what to do', Qrow typed back a quick response that he'd be there and slipped his scroll away, turning back to the task at hand.

The annoying Ice Queen walked beside him, arms clasped behind herself and back straight in that aggravatingly perfect posture she was so fond of. Two useless droids flanked them, walking with their weapons aimed towards the ground. Hunks of metal that weren't capable of taking down a beowolf on their own, let alone any quarry the two hunters sought. They were only good for one thing, and that was making other people get out of your way.

"This 'goddess' transported you directly into the Mistral vault? Why didn't you or Ozpin grab the relic when you had the chance? Then it wouldn't have _mattered_ whether or not Raven was the Spring Maiden," Winter chided sternly. With the wide berth the citizens were giving them, Qrow didn't mind too much with how loose-tongued she was being.

"We didn't exactly get a choice in the matter," Qrow grumbled, "One second we were there, the next we were back in Ozpin's office."

"And it couldn't have been some semblance? Teleportation, perhaps? Or a similar effect that almost led to your death?" Winter spared him a glance, eyebrow raised, "Are you sure you were ever in the vault to begin with?"

Qrow shook his head, "I _know_ what I saw, Ice Queen. This was different... If someone was capable of doing _that_ , we would have lost this war already."

"Well, excuse my skepticism. It's difficult to believe, to tell you the truth. The Brothers being real is hard enough to come to terms with, but another entity above them altogether?" Winter stared hard at the ground, one hand moving to grip her cutlass tightly, "And all for its _entertainment_. Inexcusable."

"You're telling me," Qrow agreed, also troubled by the reality of the situation, "Oz is worried about the students. That's why he told Ironwood in the first place, and agreed for you and the girl to know as well. The more eyes we have on this, the better our chances at mitigating the damage to our own side."

"You mean, better chance that the ones who die won't be your nieces?" Winter questioned firmly, an unpleasant curl to her mouth.

"...I've paid my dues," Qrow drank deeply off his flask and returned it to his inside pocket with a sigh, "I would rather _no one_ gets hurt. That isn't the way the world works, though. I know that better than most."

Winter remained tense for a few more seconds before relaxing, the fingers gripping her cutlas going slack, "I trust my sister to act appropriately for her position. She is a leader, and a Schnee. It's her duty to keep her teammates alive while completing the mission. Still… she's inexperienced. None of them should be going with us at all."

"Couldn't agree more," Qrow huffed, steering them around a corner and down a much darker alleyway. The sound of the crowd slowly diminished as they made another turn, going deeper and deeper through various twists and turns, "All we can do is play this as safely as possible. We get good intel, keep them out of harm's way as much as we can, and when the time comes…"

Winter nodded her assent, not needing to hear the words left unsaid. They would kill the half maiden themselves, and spare their loved ones the responsibility of taking another person's life.

"You said the new Maiden already killed two? How did she take it?"

Qrow held up a hand for silence, approaching the final corner before arriving at the destination he'd led them to. He'd been staking out some locations similar to this one while in bird form, navigating the city's underground network from above. The alleys he had led them through wound their way through the city to a half dozen streets over, near the back of a shady club that only served faunus.

Qrow pulled his scroll out to check the time and nodded, seeing that they'd arrived a minute before the usual meeting time between one of the employees and a member of the White Fang. Qrow could hear the footsteps of said member approaching from the other end of the alley, leading him to the club's metal door.

He rapped his knuckles against it roughly, causing a metallic echo to resonate through the cramped alleys, then stood with his arms crossed while he waited. After a handful of seconds, the door swung open to admit another faunus into the alleyway, his large tan colored tail twitching irritably while his eyes darted back and forth down the alley.

"How many you got for me today?" the White Fang member cocked his head to the side, clearly the dominant of the two.

"S-six," the employee stated, rubbing his hands together nervously before reaching into his pocket. He withdrew a handful of paper slips, each with three iconic slashes across their front and some writing along the back, "F-few of them looked promising. Big fellows. Lots of muscle. The others were… passionate…?"

"We'll take all the recruits we can get," the White Fang member grumbled, slipping away the papers. He pulled out a handful of lien and gave it to the employee, "I expect at least _ten_ tomorrow."

"T-ten?" the employee's eyes went wide, freezing in the middle of stashing away the lien, "Why so many? We've already set you up with dozens this week!"

The White Fang member's demeanor changed, his shoulders rising, his stance shifting forward so that he would appear more imposing, and his hand moving to the blade at his side, "Like I said, we'll take all we can get. There's big plans in the works, seems like," he poked the other faunus in the chest hard enough to push him back a foot, "All you have to worry about is finding us more. Do what you have to, and you'll continue being paid handsomely. Fail…" he ran his hand back down over his weapon before his other grabbed a fistful of the man's shirt, pushing him back to slam into the wall, "... and we'll replace you with someone who can. Fair enough, eh?"

"Y-yes, sir. Fair enough!" he was dropped unceremoniously back to the ground a moment later with a groan. He stayed there while the White Fang member scowled down at him before beginning to walk down the alley.

Qrow kept his voice low, waiting for the employee to head back into the club before speaking, "Leave your garbage. We'll follow him across the rooftops."

Winter complied with a roll of her eyes, instructing the bots that had been following them to head back to base. With a short nod, Qrow took the lead in scaling the building next to them. He hefted himself on to the rooftop and quietly continued on, the Schnee following a small distance behind.

Their quarry didn't appear to be in any rush. He continued on through various alleyways on his way towards the industrial district, apparent from the large plumes of smoke that rose lazily into the sky. Once he neared the end of the alleyway, he removed his mask and stashed it into his back pouch, withdrawing a cloak at the same time. White Fang outfit obscured, he stepped into the throng of city goers and attempted to blend in with the crowd.

With a small flex of their auras, Qrow and Winter jumped across the city street to land on the opposite side and continued to follow from above.

"Industrial district, huh? Looks like Torchwick might be wising up. Think they're actually making anything?"

"That remains to be seen," Winter replied offhandedly, keeping her eye on their prey as he wove through the other citizens, "What on Remnant could they be making? It's far more likely that Torchwick simply moved locales in order to avoid detection."

"I hope you're right."

The two remained silent the rest of the way, keeping up with the faunus as he made his way into the less densely populated streets. Once the residential and shopping districts had reached their end, Qrow and Winter were forced to desert the rooftops, the buildings much too sparse to remain on high ground.

For another ten minutes, they followed him deeper and deeper into the industrial district. Finally, with a few quick glances to his surroundings, the White Fang member crossed the street and drew his cloak open upon approaching another building. A loud buzzer sounded off before the large steel door was hefted open, allowing him entrance.

Qrow eyed the building, noting the lack of any windows anywhere aside from the small one set into the door. The front of the building came complete with a much larger warehouse style door, but it was currently shut. Looking at it closely, it likely required some type of hydraulics in order to lift it open. They certainly wouldn't be able to do so between the two of them.

"I'll check the roof. Keep an eye on the front and let me know who goes in and out," Qrow didn't bother waiting for a response, but sped across the street from where they were. He ran into the space between the building and the next. Through a series of practiced leaps back and forth between the two walls, he scaled to the top and caught the ledge, dusting off his hands once he'd pulled himself up completely.

Qrow breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting the skylight on top of the building, ' _At least we'll have an access point… and somewhere to scope the place out from._ ' He crouched low and carefully peeked down through the dirty windows, trying to distinguish exactly what it was he was seeing below.

Sparks flew wildly off a half dozen blow torches, their users wearing metal plated masks with darkly tinted glass to protect themselves. Ladders were set up around six hulking metal contraptions. Qrow squinted and rubbed a hand across the windows, smudging them to try and see more clearly.

"...Ice Queen… We've got a problem," Qrow muttered quietly over their comms a moment later, backing away from the edge of the windows.

"Nothing we can't handle, I hope?"

"Depends. How many Paladins do you think you could take on by yourself? I'm good for one. You wanna take the other five?"

" _Six_ Paladins? Surely you're joking, Qrow. We don't have time for your games."

"I wish I was. They've got them popped open like tin cans. I think… it looks like they're fitting them with more explosives as a last resort."

"Are they crazy!? They'll die with whoever else they try to take with them!"

"Yeah, no kidding…" Qrow returned to the window's edge to peek once more, rubbing his forearm more firmly across the window and giving himself a better view. His eyes searched closely around the room, catching onto what he'd been hoping to see, "Torchwick is here. He's near the front with a large set of blueprints… I don't see anyone that might be the half maiden we're after."

"Should we retreat for now? As dangerous as it is, this might be our best chance. Surely she'll want to inspect the Paladins once they're finished?"

Qrow scoffed, "Problem is, that means they'll _be_ finished…" he muttered in annoyance, "I hate to admit it... but we may _need_ the students for this."

' _Damn that Goddess…_ '

"I don't like it Qrow. If those Paladins are rigged to explode, there's any number of things that could go wrong. We can't possibly protect all of them."

"If we go in ourselves, and Ozpin's theory is true… We may end up dying for no reason anyway. The Goddess _wants_ her show, not for us to take care of things behind the scenes."

Winter muttered under her breath angrily, barely coming through over the comms before raising her voice, "How close do they look to being done? Do we even _have_ until Monday?"

Qrow squinted, trying to make out more fine details. Each of the Paladins looked to be getting worked on. With a glance at the blueprints being projected for all to see, he could make out exactly where they planned on adding the explosives. Qrow paid careful attention to the workers, noting their progress.

"Tough to say. I'll need to keep watch for a few hours to get an accurate idea of our timeframe. They could have just started, or they could have made only a little progress over several days…" Qrow frowned in thought, "Did you hear about any Paladins being stolen?"

"No, and I surely would have been informed if we'd already known. Either it was an extremely covert theft, or it was very recent. Even then, I don't see how they would have gotten them into the city without anyone noticing. Paladins aren't exactly small tech."

Qrow moved positions, circling around the edge of the skylight so that he could look down into other sections of the building, specifically near the front where the large door was located. Sitting there in current disuse were three large semi trailers, each large enough to fit two Paladins apiece. They were unmarked, but still distinct enough that they might be spotted on traffic cams.

With a quick message sent to Ozpin, Qrow asked him to give some of Ironwood's men access to the network so that they could scour the nearby area over the last few days, and informed him of the Paladin's existence. Ozpin responded within a few minutes, telling him that he had alerted Ironwood, and that the General would also be looking into the disappearance of military equipment.

"I thought you lot were supposed to be professionals? How'd you lose something so big, let alone _six_ of them?"

"I don't know, Qrow. I'd hate to believe that it was an inside job… but there aren't many other alternatives."

Qrow sighed, sitting down and stretching a leg out while being careful to expose as little of himself as possible, "Well, I'm all set for the next few hours. You can leave if you want. Wouldn't want to keep you from all your Ice Queen duties."

"I'm hardly going to ditch you on a stakeout. What if you're spotted?" despite the words she spoke, there was hardly a hint of actual worry in her voice.

Qrow laughed in a short burst, turning his head away from the glass in case any of the four eared faunus below might hear, "Give me some credit. You're talking to Qrow Branwen here. I don't get caught."

"Unless it's a building set to explode?" Winter replied, tone dripping with smugness.

"A once in a lifetime mistake. It won't happen again."

"Well, if it does, I'm sure you're big sister will swoop in and save you again," Qrow could _hear_ Winter's smirk through the comms.

"My _little_ sister Raven is done helping us... She's more afraid of Salem than anything we could do to her."

"Then why would she become a Maiden? All she did was paint a bigger target on her back," Winter replied incredulously.

Qrow shrugged absentmindedly and then realized they were still speaking over comms and put the gesture to words, "Who knows? She was certainly strong before becoming a Maiden, but with it…? I'd put my money on Raven no matter who Salem sends to collect."

"Why don't we get into contact with her and make a deal? The Relic of Knowledge would be an invaluable asset to have in our possession."

' _If only it were that simple…_ ' Qrow shook his head, "The Relic was… _less_ than cooperative the last time Ozpin attempted to use it, and it seemed to be pretty chummy with the Goddess. I don't think we'd get many answers out of it even if we did cut a deal. Better that it stays in the vault collecting dust instead of risking it to Salem. What about the Winter Maiden?"

"Still in isolation," Winter answered quietly, "She may have a few more years yet to live. It's hard to say. We've made progress in some of our research, and are testing one such invention out currently. If it proves to be a success…"

"I'm surprised James hasn't sped up the process. I never figured him for the patient type."

Winter's voice grew more heated, "The _General_ would never do such a thing. His body may be half machine, but he isn't _heartless_ , Qrow."

"Alright, alright. Don't get your panties twisted, Ice Queen. Any activity down there?"

Qrow could hear Winter muttering something about her 'undergarments' before snapping back with a simple, "No."

Qrow chuckled, "Well, get settled in. It's gonna be a long night."

The two spoke only passingly for the next few hours, Winter keeping an eye on the few that entered and exited the building, Qrow from the skylight above. Aside from the work being done on the Paladins, not much else appeared to be happening. Torchwick eventually disappeared into a back room, leaving the White Fang to continue with their work.

At the rate they were going, Qrow figured they would be finished by Monday night.

' _Perfect timing, eh Goddess…?_ '

* * *

"We all ready to go?" Violet asked lightly, scanning across those that had gathered in the Vibrant dorm room.

Ruby and Penny were still sitting up in her top bunk, reading through passages of the book that Ruby had already finished and sharing her favorites. Yang was just then finishing up with her hair, the last one left that had used the bathroom since she always took the longest. Ren was sitting in one of their desk chairs, with Nora giddily bouncing up and down on her toes behind him and her arms wrapped around his neck. Weiss stood off to the side with Pyrrha, both trying to distract themselves from the Mistralian's happy humming.

Blake sat on her own bed, a book sitting in her lap that she hadn't actually been reading for quite some time. Having so many others in the room was certainly too much of a distraction, and she had resorted to listening to Ruby and Penny's gushing instead with a small smile. Violet was dressed modestly and planned on leaving Zenith behind. The large greatsword would be far too awkward to keep around within the confines of their theater seats.

Penny overheard Violet's question and jumped off the bed excitedly, landing heavily on the carpet below, "Oh, I cannot wait!"

Ruby hopped down next to her, landing much more lightly and pumped a fist in the air, "Yeah!"

Nora grabbed Ren by the hand and hauled him to his feet towards the door. Yang stopped halfway across the room and waited for Blake to join her at her side. Violet led the way out, shortly followed by Weiss and Pyrrha, the rest taking their respective turns.

' _Anyone that's foolish enough to attack this many students is just asking to get caught,_ ' Violet thought idly, sparing a glance back. Everyone else had brought their weapons despite not wearing their combat attire. It was mildly amusing to see such a mismatched bunch, wearing casual street clothes yet carrying a variety of deadly weapons on their persons.

Yang walked with her arms crossed, still put out that the others had changed the movie they were going to see. Blake's presence seemed to be making up for it, though. By the time they reached the bullheads, Yang was back to her regular self; inappropriate jokes and all.

The trip down to Vale went smoothly, everyone unboarding once they hit the bottom and melting into the rest of the crowd. Later in the evening or not, it was still a Saturday. The throng of people was just as densely populated as it had been earlier in the day, if not more so. Violet gave up trying to keep track of everyone while in the midst of the crowd and counted heads once they were out of it and headed down the sidewalk.

Violet overheard Penny gasp, "Is the screen _really_ going to be that big?"

"Yup!" Ruby agreed happily, "Just wait until you see the size of the popcorn buckets! I can never finish them by myself. Do you wanna share one with me?"

"Pop corn?" Penny's frown of confusion faded back into a smile, "I do not know what that is, but I will gladly share some with you."

"Cool!"

Violet smiled, happy that the two seemed to be getting along so well no matter who had been the first to find Penny, ' _Friendship is friendship, I suppose,_ ' and with Emerald out of the picture, the ginger robot's chances at living through whatever was to come had drastically improved. ' _She made it to the finals, after all. Her only real competition was Pyrrha,_ ' Violet couldn't wait to see what a timeline with Penny and Pyrrha both surviving would look like.

' _Which reminds me…_ ' Violet hung back a moment to fall between Pyrrha and Weiss directly behind her. The three now spearheaded the group's way through the crowd, "Did Pyrrha bring up training with your summons, Weiss? Now that your sister is in town, I bet you can get some more tips."

"She did," Weiss confirmed with a smile and a nod in the Mistral Champion's direction, "I've been training with it on my own for the past week since we agreed to accept your 'invitation', actually. I've made quite a bit of progress!"

"Really?" Violet raised an eyebrow in surprise. Weiss had been next to useless with her summons at this point during the regular timeline, "How far have you gotten?"

Weiss smirked, holding a hand out in front of herself. A small boarbatusk slowly took form, conjured into existence by the same misty white material that usually made up her glyphs. It vanished a moment later in a puff of white, Weiss breathing out a heavy sigh.

"It takes quite a lot of concentration, but I can finally create them in full, if only for a short time!"

"Nicely done, Weiss," Violet praised happily, ' _I wonder if her being a leader had anything to do with that? She's had more time to grow used to responsibility_ ,' she smirked, ' _Maybe daddy Schnee doesn't have as tight a hold anymore?_ '

"Thank you," Weiss replied a little smugly, "I'll be sure to use it to my fullest capabilities during the tournament. I hope you don't come to regret giving Pyrrha the suggestion."

Violet laughed, "Not a chance. Why would I regret it when team Vibrant is going to win anyway?"

Weiss narrowed her eyes, smirk betraying her amusement, "We'll see about that, Violet. Your Maiden powers can't help you in the tournament."

"Ah, who needs 'em anyway?" Violet pretended she was going to pat Weiss on the back, but instead conjured a small amount of ice to drop down the back of her shirt.

Weiss's eyes widened in surprise and she began to flail about, arms trying to reach her back where the ice was, "Violet! Stop! It's too cold!"

Violet laughed and let the ice disappear, giving the heiress immediate relief. Her glare became real, but after a few moments, softened back into mild annoyance. Weiss crossed her arms and huffed, "Should you really be using that in a crowd like this?"

"What, ice dust?" Violet mocked jokingly in case anyone was nearby to overhear their conversation, "For the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, you seem awfully worried about only a small bit going to waste."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Back me up here, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha had been hiding a smile by turning her head away from the both of them. She turned back, her lips still threatening to twitch back up into a grin, and forcefully scrunched her eyebrows together in an attempt at looking indignant, "You really shouldn't be using… _ice dust_ … so casually, Violet."

"Oh," Violet waved a hand dismissively, "There's plenty more where that came from," she moved her hand back behind Weiss's shoulder blades and smirked when the heiress shot forward away from her touch, "but I guess you have a point."

Weiss sent her a look of distrust and silent warning before falling back in line with the other two. Violet chuckled and let her hand fall to her side, "Best of luck in your training, Weiss. Whether or not it ends up winning you the tournament, it'll be a nice ace up our sleeve while we're out in the field. I wouldn't want any of you at anything less than your best."

Pyrrha and Weiss grew somber, eyes looking to Violet for reassurance. Pyrrha was the first to speak up, voice hesitant, "Do you think we're really going to be alright? If Qrow _and_ you almost died the last time…"

' _That isn't going to happen again… Not on my watch._ '

Violet gave each of them a firm but confident smile, "We'll be fine. Trust me. I have full faith that whatever comes our way, we'll handle it together."

"You really think so?" Weiss asked quietly.

Violet scoffed, "I've fought all of you at least once or twice. I know what you're all capable of. We've got this in the bag, half maiden or no half maiden."

"I'm glad at least one of us is confident," Weiss smiled lightly, then nodded past her to Pyrrha, "We'll follow your lead, Violet."

"What do you mean?" Violet patted her on the back for real, then looked ahead, "You're just as much a team leader as I am, Weiss. We'll both bring our teams out of this alive and kicking. You just need to trust in yourself."

Weiss grew quiet in consideration of Violet's words. The three simply enjoyed each other's company for a few minutes, listening in on the various conversations taking place behind them. Ruby and Penny still excitedly discussed the movie, while Yang and Blake spoke softly. Ren had given up on avoiding Nora's affections, or perhaps was slowly warming up to them. His hand held hers as they walked side by side.

"Who got Ren to ease up, by the way?" Violet asked with a backwards glance at the two.

Weiss's cheeks grew heated, eyes staring at the pavement ahead of them, "I may have had a hand in that. Ren seemed to be under the impression that accepting Nora would hinder him in some way," she straightened out with a small look of defiance in Violet's direction, "I talked him out of such foolish notions. They're stronger together."

Violet nodded her assent, "Couldn't agree more, Weiss," she pushed the heiress lightly on the shoulder, "And you were worried about not being a good leader. Give me a break."

Weiss accepted the praise, though her cheeks were still slightly discolored. She glanced back over her shoulder as well towards Yang and Blake, then turned to Violet with a smug look, "Seems I'm not the only one playing matchmaker."

Violet shrugged, "They were meant to be together."

Weiss frowned, "I recall what you said earlier. Excuse me for saying it, but… I thought you and Blake would have made a nice couple. I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Violet was careful not to look back, knowing there was a small chance at least that the cat faunus would overhear their conversation. Violet gave a minute shrug, "Some things aren't meant to be, Weiss," she flashed a grin to both her and Pyrrha, "Like team Siren winning the tournament. It just isn't in the cards."

"Did someone else catch your eye?" Pyrrha asked timidly, far from being the most comfortable when it came to issues of attraction.

Violet opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as a vision swam through her head.

_A beach with three moons... A girl with grey hair walking ahead of her... The Goddess, eagerly waiting for her approval at the beginnings of the new world, the first world they would create together. A name coming to mind. The only one that truly mattered to her..._

_Ser-_

Violet brought a hand up to massage the sudden headache directly behind her eyes, rubbing at the bridge of her nose while the memory faded from her conscious mind. What had she been thinking about?

' _Right. Whether or not I've ever liked anyone._ '

"No. Not a soul."

Weiss looked at her worriedly, then glanced around the streets, "Are you alright? That happened earlier, remember?"

It was Violet's turn to frown, "What did?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "You getting a headache. It was a bit more severe this morning."

Violet wasn't sure where to take the conversation from there. It wasn't as if she could divulge the issues surrounding her omniscience to Weiss, and she didn't want the heiress to be worried for her. On the other hand, it was strange that she was getting headaches seemingly from nowhere. The trail led back to the hole in her memories.

' _And I am not opening that can of worms..._ ' Whatever was locked inside that gaping chasm would stay there, even _if_ her curiosity was egging her on to reach in and tear it to pieces.

' _What am I keeping from myself?_ '

Violet waved a hand nonchalantly, "It's probably just something that has to do with being a Maiden. I doubt there's anything to worry about, Weiss."

With the theater nearing, Violet took that opportunity to direct attention away from her problems and towards the fun night they were supposed to be having. Despite her best efforts, she noticed Pyrrha and Weiss hanging back a moment to share a concerned glance. Violet firmly pushed it from her mind. If she didn't seem to be bothered by it, then it wasn't something to be bothered _by_ , right?

Violet held the door open for the rest as they all filed in, then joined them in line for concessions. Ruby and Penny were the first in line, and bought a large tub of popcorn and a large soda to share between them. Nora and Ren went next, getting a whole host of different candy that Violet knew Ren would have to clean up afterwards. Yang and Blake awkwardly discussed what they wanted, taking longer than the others but eventually going with separate drinks and another, smaller tub of popcorn to share.

By then, the time for the movie to start was nearly upon them. Violet brushed past Pyrrha and Weiss, hoping to take their minds of the earlier matter, "What are you guys up for? I'll pay, since the movie starts in only a couple minutes," she waved her scroll, "I've got all the tickets saved so nobody can really get in until we catch up."

They agreed and ordered some light snacks. Violet wasn't really a fan of popcorn, so went with a small bag of shelled chocolates that were similar to M&M's from other worlds. She ordered a small drink and left the lien on the counter to rush off with the others. The rest of their group were stuck waiting in front of the usher.

Violet pulled out her scroll and allowed the attendant to count the number of tickets before matching it up with how many people were there with them. With a grateful nod, he pointed them off towards the appropriate theater. Violet could hear the commercials still playing as they entered and breathed a sigh of relief.

It was relatively empty, many movie goers likely going to see the movie that Yang had been so excited for. While it wasn't in an ideal position, they did manage to secure an entire row to themselves near the front. The entry was a little ways behind them, a short passage leading back to the door.

Blake and Yang took up the furthest seats, Ren and Nora following soon after. Pyrrha and Weiss scooted in as well. Ruby and Penny followed soon after, taking up the end. Violet realized far too late that their group took up an entire row by themselves, plus one extra.

"Oh," Ruby looked to Violet who was still standing at the end of the isle, a small frown on her face, "Ummm, you could take my place if you want to. I wouldn't mind sitting behind everyone."

Violet waved her off, "Nah, no biggie. You guys are sharing. I'll just sit behind Penny." Before Ruby could protest, Violet slipped into the seat directly behind them and set down the armrest to lean against it before getting comfortable, "Best seat in the house, honestly~"

Ruby rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but suppress the smile that popped onto her face when Penny set the tub down between them, half on each of their laps, "Have it your way, Auntie Vi."

Violet smirked and sat back, ready to watch her friends instead of the movie. If she was honest with herself, they were far more interesting.

A short female usher entered the theater as the lights began to dim, and glanced overtop those within the theater. She smiled briefly once it looked like everything was in order and nodded before stepping back out.

Violet thought nothing of it and averted her attention back to the others as the lights dimmed to black and the movie began. She paid little attention to the plot, instead focusing on the reactions the others were having. Nora loudly cheered on the protagonist that was desperately trying to win over her crush, while Blake and Yang couldn't decide whether or not to blush or enjoy the movie. Ruby and Penny giddily watched the entire way through, sharing in their laughter as if they'd already been friends for years.

Weiss and Pyrrha seemed to enjoy the movie as well, but every now and then Violet would catch one or the other glancing her way, as if checking up on her. ' _I'm fine,_ ' she wanted to say, but knowing them, that would only further their suspicions.

Violet sighed, ' _It's a lose-lose situation._ ' Since she wasn't truly watching the movie anyway, she felt no qualms when she needed to use the restroom. Violet got up silently, not wanting to disturb anyone else, and made her way out of the theater. The hallway was mostly empty, aside from a few other movie goers moving to and from the different rooms.

Violet spotted the bathrooms along the opposite wall and quickly went about doing her business. The room was thankfully empty aside from her.

Once she was done, she washed her hands and dried them off, looking at herself in the mirror. Without much thought put into it, her mind reached out towards the gap in her memories to feel across its surface. Violet ran her conscious mind along its hard exterior, gently feeling for any cracks in its defenses. She stared into her own eyes, willing herself to simply let her curiosity go.

' _There's nothing there for you but pain..._ '

Violet frowned. It had been her own voice, her own thoughts… yet _she_ had not thought them. She pressed harder, now fully feeling along the locked memories' outer shell.

' _Don't. You'll regret it!_ '

Once more, her voice came through. It was louder, more desperate. Violet's curiosity only grew. What in all the worlds could she be hiding from herself?

' _I can just make myself forget again if I don't like it, right…?_ ' Violet thought to herself, trying to talk her way into potentially forcing this mystery open. She could feel an ache beginning to form in the back of her head, driving a spike into her conscious mind.

With one final push, the voice came through again. Violet stopped immediately, hearing the misery behind that voice. She was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Violet could feel her shaking, mirrored by her own physical body as the emotions began to filter through. A single word followed it, warning her for the last time. If she wanted to, Violet could press only the slightest bit more and have the answers she was looking for.

' _...Please…_ '

Violet fled from her omniscience as her heart threatened to fracture in two. No amount of healing could fix whatever memories were locked away. It would be the end of her. She was sure of it.

Breathing out heavily with sweat beading on her forehead, Violet wasn't surprised to find a tear running down her face. She used the sleeve of her coat to wipe it away and continued to breath deeply. It took several minutes to get her emotions back in control, and when she did, Violet considered adding another layer to the lock on her memories.

With a final small sigh, Violet turned to leave the bathroom. She attempted to push the door open, only for it to collide with someone on the other side. The female attendant let out a choked gasp and fell to the floor, landing on her backside with her arms breaking her fall. She looked up in fearful surprise at Violet standing above her.

" _Sorry_ about that," Violet reached a hand down to help her up from the floor, "I was a little preoccupied with… something else. Hope you aren't hurt?"

The girl smiled in understanding and reached in for a hug. Violet froze in place, awkwardly staring down at the small brunette. The girl let go soon enough, backing away a few feet.

' _Wait… she looks-_ '

The girl's outfit and hair rippled like glass as it shifted, starting from her midsection and spreading in either direction to reveal her true form. She shook Violet's scroll back and forth in her other hand with a devilish grin, then slipped it into the back pocket of her tight jeans.

"Neo…" Violet grimaced and prepared herself for an attack, raising her hands slightly and lowering her body into a defensive stance.

Neo only tilted her head, that same smile still on her face.

"What do you want?" Violet asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, "As you can see, I don't have my weapon…" she looked Neo up and down, noticing how her hands were empty as well, "And neither do you."

Neo shrugged and held up her empty hands in a 'what can you do' gesture, sadly shaking her head. Violet tensed when she reached behind herself, but it was only to pull out another scroll. She held it up between them as if to give it to Violet, then shook it limply in annoyance when she appeared hesitant to accept it.

Violet took the scroll gingerly and looked down at the screen. The contact list was already pulled up, 'Dum Dum' highlighted at the top. Violet glanced to Neo and she nodded happily, mimicking pressing the 'call' button.

Violet pressed it.

The scroll was only ringing for a few seconds before Roman answered, appearing on the other side in what looked like a rather barren room with no windows. He tipped his hat up as Violet was revealed, a similar grin to Neo's coming to his face.

"Ah, if it isn't the thorn in my side. How are you doing these days?"

"Well enough," Violet replied with some annoyance. His voice was too friendly and jovial considering what he'd tried to do, "Word is two of your allies are _dead_. Is that true?"

Roman glared for a moment, then relaxed, "Allies of mine? No. They were very much _not_ my allies. I wanted to discuss something with you… see if we could come to an... _agreement_ of sorts."

"I'm not really the type to make deals with people that try to blow me up," Violet scoffed. Neo crossed her arms and nodded in understanding, as if agreeing with Violet.

"Neo. You're not helping."

Neo smirked and gave a small shrug, then used her index finger to make a 'go on' motion.

Roman cleared his throat, "Alright, here's the deal, kid. I underestimated you before, but according to Neo, you aren't afraid to do what needs to be done. There's a smoking crater that can attest to that. So, I'm thinking if you can do _that_ , then perhaps you could help put an end to one of our more… _mutual_ problems. It might come as a shock to you, but I'm not the one running this show. There's another puppet master pulling the strings, and unfortunately for her, I _hate_ dancing on them. If you promise to help me, then I'll help you."

Violet rolled her eyes, "You think I'd trust you and this homicidal maniac?"

Neo put a hand to her chest as if hurt, eyes going wide and mouth pouting. Roman laughed roughly, "Careful. Being called names is a real turn on of hers." Neo smirked and nodded, dropping the pout to lick her lips and put a hand down between her thighs as if it had all been an act before. Violet really wasn't sure _which_ to believe.

"You didn't answer my question, Roman. Why would I trust you?"

" _Because_ , kid, my boss has got a whole lot planned and none of it is good for any of us. I'm willing to offer up information."

"And in exchange?"

Roman shrugged, "When the fight goes down and one side ends up dead, you won't blame me either way. I want a full pardon, and passage to _my_ city of choice," he looked Violet up and down as well as he could from the scroll, "I'm also going to need proof."

"Proof of what?" Violet frowned.

"That I can trust you to _win_. I'm really sticking my neck out here, kid. I need to know you've got what it takes."

Violet feigned ignorance, "I'll have to know what I'm up against first. Who's this puppeteer?"

Roman glanced nervously each way on his side of the scroll, Neo doing same in the hallway they were both in. He moved his face closer to the camera, beginning to speak more quietly, "Cinder Fall. I don't know what kind of crazy shit she's gotten herself into, but she's too powerful. Does all this stuff with fire and ice and- It's bad, alright? Neo and I don't stand a chance against her."

"Anything else I should know about?" Violet raised an eyebrow.

Roman glared, "Not until you can tell me you've got what it takes. You and the rest of your little teammates. That older huntsman, too. I want you to be _sure_. I'm not trying to downplay how dangerous Cinder is. If you aren't up for it, we'll end the call right here and go our separate ways."

Violet stood in thought for a moment, ' _Can I trust Roman? I watched them try to betray Cinder once already, and I doubt seeing Salem inspired confidence in either of them… If I play my cards right, I could really turn them against her. We'd have a better chance at victory…_ '

The idea of there being less risk to her friends sold Violet on the idea. She gave Roman a firm nod, then raised her hand, palm up.

"The things she can do is a little like _this_ , right?" An amethyst colored flame ignited in her palm, causing Neo to backpedal in fear. Roman's eyes widened, and he shifted even closer to the screen to get a better look.

"How the hell…"

Violet closed her hand into a fist, snuffing out the flames in the same motion, "So, we got a deal or what?" she glanced up to see Neo still keeping her distance and gave a small smile, cocking her head down at Roman, "Tell you what. I can even sweeten the pot~"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Roman stumbled out, nervously tugging on the collar of his jacket.

Violet gestured with a finger for Neo to step closer. The girl gave her a worried frown, slowly approaching but trying to keep her distance. After a few moments, Violet sighed in exasperation, "If I wanted to hurt you then I _could have_ already. Come here."

Neo gulped fearfully and approached the last few steps. Violet raised her hand, gingerly reaching out for Neo's throat. The petite girl stepped back, raising a hand as if to defend herself and rubbing the other across her throat.

Violet tilted her head as if to say 'Really now?'

Firming up, Neo stepped back within range, flinching when Violet finally placed her hand softly against the smaller girl's skin. She frowned, feeling that it wasn't nearly as smooth as it looked. There was a bumpiness beneath, as if she…

"Could you drop your semblance, Neo...?" Violet asked softly.

Neo's eyes grew doubtful, but with a glance to Roman, reluctantly allowed her semblance to fade away. Glass flaked from where it had been covering her throat, revealing the jagged scars that marred its surface. They ran from one side to the other, long gashes of scar tissue that had never fully healed correctly.

Roman spoke up, watching it all take place, "I found her in a small town near Vale… Her parents were killed by the Grimm. They died protecting her, using their bodies as a final shield against it. I arrived in time to kill it, but not before it had gotten to her. I… unlocked her aura with my own. She hasn't been able to talk since, but at least it kept her alive."

Violet smiled sadly, "So you _do_ have a heart, Roman?"

He cleared his throat, "I did back then."

Violet nodded, "Well... how about I give _that_ Roman a little reward? There can never be too much good in the world, but there can _always_ be too much evil."

"What are you…?-"

Violet dipped into her omnipotence, feeling out from where her hand was touching scarred skin. She gently caressed across its surface, feeling the damaged tissue receding beneath her touch. Neo pulled away slightly at the sensation, eyes widening, then slowly leaned back into it. In only a few seconds, Violet had fully healed the scars across her throat. She ran her hand one last time over newly softened skin, and gave Neo a doting smile.

"Better?"

Neo's hands raised to her own throat, feeling for herself the changes that had taken place. She opened her mouth, working muscles that hadn't been used in far too long. Tears came to her eyes, and her shoulders shook as she stared up at Violet.

" _Better…_ " Neo gave a sobbing laugh and crashed into Violet in a fierce hug, throwing her arms around her midriff and squeezing for all she was worth. Violet put her arms around the smaller girl and hugged her back, remaining as gentle as possible.

"You…" Roman was speechless for several seconds while his vision was blocked from view, scroll pressed against Neo's back. Violet raised it up so that he could see the way Neo was pressed against her, and gave him a wink.

"That good enough for you?"

A smile tugged at Roman's lips, and he nodded, still dumbfounded. Neo pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiled brightly up at Violet.

Her eyes went to Roman on the scroll's screen, her voice around the same pitch as Ruby's, if not higher, "We should tell her _everything_ , Dum Dum."

Roman smiled, taking a moment to blink rapidly and let out a contented sigh, "I couldn't agree more, Neo."

He turned back to look at Violet, struggling to quell his smile.

"Where do we start?"


	33. The Forest for the Trees

"P-please! _Please_ , no-!"

The man's begging was cut short as the end of Tyrian's tail pierced through his chest, a sickening sound that sent shivers coursing through his veins. He laughed in delight, allowing the man's body to fall to the ground with a wet thump, blood soaking into a wide puddle on the carpet beneath. Tyrian brought the end of the stinger to his lips and licked the tip, tasting the man's blood with a wide grin.

"An unfortunate end for you, dear conductor. Oh, but I am so glad you ignored my warnings not to enter my compartment~" Tyrian gloated down at the dead man.

"Tyrian…"

Tyrian's eyes widened, and he hurriedly returned to his place in front of the Seer, wiping the blood off his tail along the floor as he did, "Forgive my _impudence_ , Your Grace! What is it you wish of so low a servant~?" he bowed his head low as he spoke, placing a hand to his chest and another out to the side.

The cold, commanding tone of his Goddess filtered through, sending another shiver of delight running down his spine, "Cinder's chances leave much to be desired. Head to Vale, and keep an eye on the proceedings. Do not interfere unless her plan fails. If it does, you are free to command my grimm to descend upon the city. No matter what happens, Ozma cannot retain the maiden's power. Finish off Amber, or _kill_ whoever it goes to. We will expend our efforts on tracking down the replacement in her stead."

"By your command, Your Grace," Tyrian continued to bow low, but one glimmering eye peeked out from beneath his bangs, "And Ozma himself~?"

The Goddess's lips pursed in a thin line, "Hazel will be there to assist. Do what you must, and let no _shred_ of his body remain."

A low rumble began in Tyrian's chest, working its way up through his throat and out in a maniacal laugh, only dying once he realized he was keeping the Goddess waiting for his response.

"It would be my _eternal_ pleasure, Your Grace~"

* * *

Violet sighed deeply in thought, considering the things Neo and Roman had revealed. Cinder's plans had devolved from trickery and subterfuge into pure terrorism on a city wide scale. With the assistance of the White Fang, Cinder planned on launching large scale attacks on random parts of the city, then spreading them out across increasingly shorter intervals to drum up as much panic as possible. Once that was done, she would demolish portions of Vale's wall and allow the grimm hordes to enter, while also opening up a hole in the center via the train from Mount Glenn.

"You said our time frame is around two months?" Violet spoke up, if only to confirm that fact among all the rest.

Neo nodded her head, then made a small sound of impatience at herself for how used she was to being incapable of speech, "Yes. She wants to stir up as much fear and uncertainty as she can. Once everyone is tempted out of their homes for the festival, she'll strike. Cinder wants to attack when the city is at its fullest, and draw in as many grimm as she can from around Vale."

"And the virus?"

Roman spoke up, "To gather information on what plans Ozpin has up his sleeve, and so she can give him an ultimatum... Give her what she wants, or watch the city burn."

"Do you know where Cinder is now?"

Roman and Neo both shook their heads, with the previously mute girl being the one to speak up first, "Cinder said she'd get into contact with us through the White Fang. She knows you're all after her, and wants to remain in the shadows for as long as possible."

Violet tapped her chin in thought while leaning back against the countertop behind her. The two of them had long since retreated into the confines of the bathroom to speak freely. Violet had gone so far as to encase the door's knob with ice, forcing it shut so that none could interrupt them unannounced, "We'll have to draw her out somehow… I'll get into contact with the Headmaster so that we can put a strategy together. We may be able to give her false information with the virus to draw her out, then take her by surprise…"

"Well, whatever you do, know that Dum Dum and I have got your back~" Neo said playfully, giving Roman a wink while he attempted to sputter in protest.

"We will do as much as we _need_ to, Neo. Returning your voice to you will hardly matter if we're _dead_."

" _About_ that," Violet interjected before Neo could reply, the short girl's face growing heated while staring in defiance at Roman, "Don't mention what I did to anyone. It isn't exactly something that's… in the _regular_ arsenal of a maiden. I'm not sure how I did it, and would rather avoid any unnecessary questions because of it. Deal?"

Neo shrugged, "Your friends have never heard me speak before now, but that could have been for any number of reasons… I'll have to pretend to still be mute around the help. If word gets back to Cinder she might grow suspicious."

Violet nodded her thanks, "That's good enough for me. Keep in touch about any developments on your end, and I'll give you the jist of what we're doing on mine. I'll warn you beforehand on anything that's about to go down."

Neo pondered her words for a moment, then raised an eyebrow, "Are you going to tell your friends?"

"I'll have to. They'd crucify me if I kept them in the dark anymore than I already have. I… don't want to betray their trust again…"

"Well, even if they abandon you, you'll always have me~" Neo raised up on tiptoe to peck Violet on the cheek, then rocked back down on her heels with a grin, "I can't ever thank you enough…"

"Help us take down Cinder, and you can consider us even," Violet chuckled, feeling the mark on her cheek where Neo's lips had been, "Take care of yourself, eh?"

Neo beamed and spun on her heel, skipping to the door while speaking over her shoulder, "I think I'm going to go do something that I've always wanted to, but never could~"

"And what's that?"

Neo stopped at the door, placing a hand close to it and waiting for Violet to let the ice melt away. Her semblance activated, sending a pink cascade of glass fragments across her form to return to her employee appearance. She glanced back over her shoulder once it did, a delighted smile reaching all the way up to the glimmer in her eyes, "I'm going to go sing karaoke~"

With that, the small murderess excused herself from the room, and Violet was left as the sole occupant, sitting and staring off into space in thought. She brought a hand up to rub across her face and sighed, ' _I was expecting her to go a bit off the rails, but this…?_ '

Without Roman and Neo's help, Violet had little hope that they would have kept up with the random attacks across the city. White Fang and Paladins, working in tandem to cause as much wanton mayhem and destruction as possible. It was truly disheartening to think that there were enough disparaged faunus for such a plan to be brought to fruition.

Ironically, the only portion of the plan that hadn't totally gone off the rails was the train from Mount Glenn. ' _We'll have to head out there regardless and put a stop to it early. We can't afford to have a hole opened up in the middle of the city while the walls are getting attacked as well,_ ' a two fold assault like that would end up being catastrophic in terms of casualties. Vale's defenses weren't at all capable of remaining intact while being stretched so thin, even _with_ Ironwood's assistance.

Violet only had time to hear the pounding of footsteps before the door was wrenched open, followed immediately by Yang's head darting in to take a look around the room. Her eyes instantly fell on Violet, widening in relief to see she was alright.

' _Whoops_ ,' Violet checked the time on her scroll and realized the movie must have ended, leaving Siren and the rest of her team clueless as to where she'd gone off to. Her scroll started to buzz, vibrating in her hand. A quick check of the caller ID showed it to be Weiss, the Schnee snowflake dominating the center of the screen.

Violet put a hand to her chest, grinning at Yang, "Aww, you _do_ care~"

"Of course I do, idiot!" Yang practically growled out. She leaned back out of the doorway, calling loudly, "Found her! She's fine!" then stepped into the bathroom and let the door swing shut with an ominous thud, glaring at Violet while cracking her knuckles, "But not for long~"

Violet snorted in laughter, holding her hands up, "What, a girl can't use the restroom?"

"A girl? Sure," Yang scoffed, crossing her arms angrily and lowering her voice, "A maiden that we're all supposed to be keeping an eye on? Not a _chance_ ," she shook her head with a sigh, "At least none of our enemies got to you…"

"Ummm," Violet averted her gaze up towards the ceiling tiles and scratched her chin, " _about_ that..."

Ten minutes later, the group was currently walking back along the street to Beacon, all of them surrounding Violet like her own personal brigade. She opened her mouth to protest, but was immediately silenced by the glare that Ruby sent her way.

"You're lucky we haven't put you on a _leash_ ," Weiss said angrily, sparing Violet with her most bone chilling stare.

"We could at least get her a _bell_ ," Blake tacked on with a huff of disappointment.

"Et tu, Blake?"

"What?"

"Nevermind," Violet did her best to meet their gazes with a calming one of her own, "Neo and Roman want to help, you guys. It isn't my fault if someone stalks me to the _bathroom_. What was I supposed to do?"

"Get someone to come with you and wait outside," Ren answered instantly. It was followed by a series of nods by the rest of the group, all of them agreeing with the very simple solution he'd provided.

"I mean, sure… You were all enjoying the movie, though."

"Hmm, you're right. A few minutes of a movie is definitely worth as much as your _life._ Why didn't we think of that before?" Weiss rolled her eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'm beginning to think we can't trust you to ever be alone."

Violet raised her hands, "Whoa there. That's a bit too far."

"Who volunteers for guard duty?" Ruby perked up, looking around the group.

"Guys, really-"

"I usually get up pretty early," Yang spoke overtop Violet, "And we're in the same room already. I can volunteer for first watch."

"Who wants to take second watch?"

"That's not-"

"I'll take the second watch," Blake interjected, "Yang and I usually go to the gym, so Violet will just have to tag along while we go."

"But I don't want to workout-"

"Third watch?"

"Nora and I can take that," Ren answered, "We have breakfast around that time, so Blake and Yang will have to drop her off at our dorm before we leave."

"That should keep us covered until classes start. We can trade watch each day in between class periods. Who wants to take lunch?" Ruby continued to dominate the conversation, readily ignoring the sputtering protests that Violet failed to interject.

"I'll take over during lunches," Weiss spoke up haughtily, "If she tries to wander off then I can use one of my gravity glyphs to hold her in place."

"Oh, good idea~" Ruby agreed happily, "What about you, Penny?"

The ginger girl eyed Violet sideways, noting her obvious distress, but firmed with a nod, "General Ironwood instructed me to remain by her side. If necessary, I will offer my assistance during all times of the day."

"This is just ridicu-"

"Stop being selfish!" Ruby shouted. She realized what she'd done and backtracked slightly, some remnants of her social anxiety getting the better of her in the aftermath of the heated moment, "I mean…"

"Selfish?" Violet frowned in bewilderment, "What's selfish about not wanting to disturb any of you while you're having fun? That's the complete opposite."

Blake spoke up, giving Violet a knowing frown, "Selfish might not be the right word, but... I sometimes think we care more about your well being than _you_ do, Violet… or rather… You care so much more about _ours_ in place of your _own_ safety..."

' _Well, of course… I've lived more lives than I can even remember. Why would I care about whether or not 'Violet Regalia' ceased to exist?_ '

Violet of course couldn't exactly come out and say that, so instead gave a small shrug, "Is it so wrong to care about others?"

"When you'd rather risk your _life_ than interrupt someone else having _fun_ for a few minutes!? Yes!" Ruby finally pulled herself back together after Blake had helped to pick up the pieces, "You can't just go wandering off. What if they'd had bad intentions?"

Violet scoffed, "Then I would have frozen her in place?"

"What if she got the drop on you? What if there was someone with a semblance that could take you out before you had a chance to do anything? You would need your _teammates_ by your side!"

Violet raised her hands in defeat, "Alright, alright. You win, Ruby. Happy? I won't wander off on my own," she frowned, "But I'm not accepting _guards_."

"Ummm…"

"Except you, Penny."

"Yay! This is most agreeable!"

Violet raised an eyebrow at Ruby, seeing the desire to argue still struggling across her features, "Take it or leave it, Little Red. I don't want my friends time with me to become a _chore_. Where's the fun in that?"

"I mean, it would be like practice for an escort mission, though…"

"Escort missions are the worst ones, Ruby."

"Alright, fine," she pouted, puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms to look away, "As long as you're more careful about having other people around…"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before it was broken by Pyrrha, turning her head back from her place near the front of the group to eye Violet, "So, what did… 'Neo'? Want?"

"To help us catch the half maiden," Violet replied simply.

Eight sets of eyes swivelled to regard her with various levels of disbelief and doubt, the entire group managing to slow as it did so.

Yang nodded firmly, "It's a trap."

Muttered agreement followed from everyone else.

"I am one hundred percent certain it's not a trap, you guys. I know when someone is lying to me, and Neo wasn't lying. Neither was Roman. They both want out from beneath Cinder's heel."

"Cinder?"

"That's the half maiden's name. Cinder Fall, though her last name is _definitely_ fake. They shared all they could about her plans…" Violet leveled them with a pair of determined eyes, "The things she's going to do… We _have_ to stop her."

Violet divulged everything that the two criminals had told her, starting with what all they knew about Cinder, which wasn't much, and then about the strategy she was going to use to try and divert attention away from the maiden's defenses.

"We have around two months to try and stop her," Violet finished with all she had to say by the time they arrived at the bullheads. The rest of the group climbed aboard in mostly shocked silence, disbelieving that anyone would go to such disturbing lengths in their desire for power. Violet knew them all well enough by now. While many had ambition, none of them were starved for it.

"What do we do first…?" Weiss asked quietly, searching Violet's eyes for the answer to her question.

"Well, I believe a certain faunus bookshop owner is supposed to get out of the hospital tomorrow," Violet couldn't help but glance over at Blake as she said it, "And while the airline was understandably _pissed_ about the gaping holes that Coco put in their ship, I think I can talk them into it again. A lot of Cinder's plan is based around the White Fang. If we can get Sienna Khan on our side, then we might disrupt her plans before they even have a chance to really begin."

"And what if Sienna agrees with what they're doing?" Weiss asked vehemently.

"Blake?"

The ex-White Fang member rubbed her arm nervously, "Sienna fights for equality, but even more so for survival. If the White Fang gets blamed for helping to kill off an entire city…? How would that look for us, the faunus? It would only end up turning the humans against us even more than they already are…"

"Bingo," Violet gave Blake a wink and turned back to Weiss, "Earning the ire of every other nation is _hardly_ in the White Fang's best interests. Adam has gone off the rails completely. There's no way he's still following anyone's orders other than Cinder's," she raised a hand with three fingers and began lowering them with each step of the plan, "Blake's dad and Tukson convince Sienna, Sienna comes to Vale along with some of her own White Fang members, and they put a stop to a terrorist cell that's acting out of line," she dusted her hands together as if to say, 'that's that'.

"And what if Adam doesn't want to fall back in line?" Yang asked, sparing Blake a quizzical glance, "Is Sienna strong enough to take him down?"

"It…" Blake frowned, pondering the question in her head before giving a minute shrug, "Adam always admired her, but he really does seem to have fallen further than I ever would have thought possible. If it came down to a fight… I think Adam would win in the end. Sienna is a competent fighter, but Adam was _always_ the best."

"Do you think she'd allow an escort?" Ren asked, "Or would she see that as a threat?"

Blake shrugged, "I could try and vouch for a small group to go with her and the rest of the White Fang. The more faunus in it, the better…" her eyes fell on Violet, "... and I think she'd be able to tell how sincere you are about wanting to help us."

"Vi _is_ quite the talker," Yang agreed with a firm nod of her head. She raised it to the rest of the group, "So, what are we doing tomorrow, then? We can't really afford to take another free day off like today with so much weighing on us."

A few glances darted in Violet's direction, and she sighed, "We still need to go to your dad's house, Yang. All of team Vibrant will, and Qrow should be there, too."

Yang frowned, looking to the members of her team, "Is that really important right now?"

Blake and Ruby fell into an uncomfortable silence, so Violet was forced to take charge once again. She placed an arm around Yang's shoulders as the bullhead docked on top of Beacon cliff, and led the two of them out onto the tarmac ahead of everyone else, "It is, actually. You'll just have to trust me."

"But-"

"Nope. No questions. That's what trust is all about, isn't it?"

"I mean-"

"Alrighty then," Violet smirked as she interrupted Yang once more, giving her a playful nudge sideways to show that she was only teasing, "now that's settled," Violet peeked over her shoulder to the rest of the group, "How about we all get some sleep? Plenty for us to do tomorrow. I'll let Ozpin know that some of us will drop by in the morning so we can fill him in on what happened with Roman and Neo."

They all agreed and headed up as a group to their dorm rooms. The teams wished each other goodnight and went their separate ways. Violet closed the door and stood in front of it, looking at the rest of her team while they went about getting ready for bed. She was beginning to drift off in thought when a voice that was far too close surprised her.

"So, where am I sleeping?"

Violet jumped upon realizing Penny was standing next to her, watching the rest of team Vibrant the same as she had been. She managed to calm herself, placing a hand to her chest and letting out a deep breath, then frowned, "Ironwood didn't set aside a room for you?"

"Ummm…" Penny paused in thought for a few seconds, scouring her memory banks for anything of the sort, before turning back to Violet with a cheery smile, "Nope!"

Violet shook her head with a sigh, "Leave it to Ironwood to forget the small details while staring at the big picture," she waved for Penny to follow her back out into the hall and led her to one of the unused dorms closer to the stairs. With a tiny dip into her omnipotence, she unlocked the door as she twisted the knob, making it seem as if it hadn't been locked in the first place.

A quick flip of the lightswitch revealed the four unused beds, sitting fully loaded with sheets, blankets, and pillows. Violet snagged a blanket and a pillow off one and handed them to Penny before using her semblance and hefting one of the mattresses. Even without any weight, it was still awkward to carry.

"I won't be sleeping in here?" Penny asked in confusion.

"How will you watch me from here?" Violet answered her question with one of her own, then stepped back into the hall and gestured for Penny to close the door behind herself. The blanket dragged along the ground, one side clutched to her chest along with the pillow in her arms.

"Could I not have simply shared a bed with one of you?"

Violet laughed, " _I_ wouldn't have minded, but Blake might have gotten the wrong idea," she eyed Penny sideways, "Ruby, too… It's just better this way for now. We'll set up your mattress on the floor next to my bed until tomorrow. We can ask Ironwood where he wants you then."

They reentered the room and Violet went about getting the mattress situated. Ruby and Blake were both already in bed, while Yang was making some final bedtime preparations with her hair. The mattress was set down next to Violet's bed, with a six inch gap so that the team leader wouldn't have to walk across Penny's bed if she needed to get up for something.

Penny gingerly placed the pillow down atop it, then studied Ruby for a moment before crawling on top of the mattress and pulling the blanket overtop herself, tucking the sides beneath her body the way Ruby had. She lied perfectly straight, hands brought up to her chest to hold the edge of the blanket away from her face and looked up at Violet.

Violet smirked, "Hope your comfy down there."

"Oh, this is _most_ comfortable," Penny agreed.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asked from above, frowning down at Penny.

"Very!"

Ruby shrugged with a smile, "If you say so."

With a rueful shake of her head, Violet changed into her own pajamas and crawled into bed. Yang finished up with her hair and turned the bathroom light off. With a questioning glance to the rest, each confirmed that they were ready, and she shut off the bedroom light as well before making her way across the room.

Violet heard a muffled, "Thanks, Blake," in the dark, and figured the cat faunus must have stopped the blond from running into something.

Violet sighed contentedly, turning over to face the wall and shutting her eyes calmly. As nervous as she'd been about trying to keep everyone safe, it really seemed like things were going their way. Ironwood, Winter, Penny… now Roman and Neo. Their forces were only growing more by the day. If they could manage to add Sienna to that list, and maybe even come to an agreement with the White Fang after Adam's cell was taken care of…

' _Things really are looking up for the better. If Cinder isn't careful, her entire plan will unravel into pieces before her very eyes..._ '

* * *

A cold, dead wind swept across a twisted landscape. With it was carried the piercing shrieks of Nevermores that dominated the sky. Across the entire land lay nothing. Not mere death, but the nonexistence of life itself. Shades of purple cascaded throughout, enormous towering crystals basking the land in a dull radiance. Even the sky and clouds above were bleached this color, tainted by the very lands they rose above. Only the moon itself remained unblemished, a shock of white that did not belong in the lands of the grimm.

It was at the moon itself that Salem gazed. She stood within her throne room, staring out the large glass windows in thought. The moon's gross incandescence was a constant reminder of the hell her life had become. Despite all her efforts…

' _It appears another one of my projects shall fail…_ '

The Cinder girl, a child she had raised, groomed to be one capable of obtaining the power of every maiden for herself, trained by Salem personally and given every advantage she could… All of it had gone to waste.

' _Cinder is not the first… and she will not be the last._ '

Salem's mind continued to wander, bits and pieces of the report the young half maiden had given her dribbling to the surface. Cinder's two henchmen had failed, both defeated in their attack against a single opponent. From the way she'd spoken of their skills, they had sounded competent.

' _Ozma was lucky to have found another so capable…_ '

Was it time to move past her plans for Vale, and concentrate on the other relics instead? No matter what Salem said, now that Cinder had obtained half of the maiden's power, she doubted the girl would be willing to leave without the rest. It had left a burning hunger in her chest, a desire for said powers to be complete once more. Even with the girl being as loyal as she was, the temptation would be too high.

' _The Relic of Knowledge is ripe for the taking, if only we knew where the Spring Maiden resides._ '

Leonardo had been weak. A simple, incompetent man that had fallen low at the mere sight of Salem's personage. The singular threat of death had driven him over the line and into servitude, ' _A pity the maiden disappeared before then._ '

With the Relic of Knowledge, Salem would have had all the time in the world to learn of Ozma's weaknesses, and of his secrets. Where and how to access all of the relics, the current locations of each maiden, how best to devise her plans; all would have been at Salem's finger tips. Time did not matter to her, even more so than Ozma. While she remained in her one form, he was forced to start fresh with each lifetime, a parasite that transferred from host to host, refusing to be eradicated.

Instead, her plans had been forced to shift towards what she was capable of in the moment. Namely, trying to relieve the wizard of another relic under his care, ' _And my, how that plan has spiralled into nothing… nothing but wasted effort._ ' Perhaps Cinder would be successful against all the odds against her. Either way, Salem would claim her victory. A victory.

' _A consolation prize…_ '

Vale _would_ fall. She would make _sure_ of that much. Whether or not the relic was taken, whether or not Cinder managed to acquire the second half of the maiden's powers and rejoined her side, it mattered little to her anymore.

Salem stared out over the horde of grimm waiting to begin their journey across Remnant, the tiniest of smirks threatening to work its way across her lips.

' _Even if all else fails…_ '

' _Ozma will once more be forced to begin anew._ '

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 3 more chapters already available on FF.net. Almost caught up on the backlog!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	34. Revelations

"-and that's the extent of what I managed to learn from Roman and Neo," Violet finished, letting out a quick sigh after her long-winded explanation.

Weiss nodded next to her, the details matching up with what Violet had told them the day prior. She hadn't been surprised when Violet came to her early the next morning, intent on having her fellow team leader accompany her to the Headmaster's office. Weiss was only disappointed that Winter wasn't there with Ironwood.

"This is all rather concerning," Ozpin mused quietly, sitting back in his chair with a hand on his chin. His other hand rested on top of his desk, finger tapping against the wood, subconsciously displaying the trepidation boiling beneath the surface.

"How well do you believe we can trust these criminals? Could this all be a ploy to learn more about our operation while feeding _us_ false information?" Ironwood stood with his arms crossed to the side, only a hint of doubt shining through his stoic appearance.

"Hmmm," Ozpin lowered his hand to his mug, idly raising it back up to his face but not yet drinking, "I don't believe he would have given away as much as he did. The Paladins _are_ real, and sound like an integral part of Cinder's plans," he raised an eyebrow at Violet, "What impression did the pair give you. Do you think we can trust them?"

"Yes. Given their history, it's fair that _you_ wouldn't, but… I believe they're acting in their best interests, and as far as they can tell… that means joining the _winning_ side. I think I managed to prove to them quite handily that _we_ are that side."

"Would you agree, Miss Schnee?" Ironwood asked with a raised brow.

"I uh, wasn't there for it," Weiss confessed, glancing over to Violet who flashed a confident smile in return, "I trust Violet's skill, though. She's one of the most persuasive people I've ever met, and I grew up with my father," Weiss's eyes swiveled back to Ironwood, "If she says they're on our side, then they're _on_ our side."

Ironwood nodded firmly, seemingly glad for the confirmation, "My forces could likely take care of the threat brewing beneath Mountain Glenn," he turned to Ozpin as me made the suggestion, already pulling out his scroll.

"Actually-"

"That's not-"

Violet and Ozpin both began to speak at once, then shared a glance. Violet seemed embarrassed at interrupting the Headmaster, while Ozpin simply gave her an amused smirk before gesturing for her to continue.

Violet straightened once more, shifting her gaze back to Ironwood, expression firming, "It would be better to send in a smaller force. If the White Fang gets wind of an entire army descending on them, they could just as easily leave before you had a chance to stop them. Even if it threw part of Cinder's plans out of order, it _would_ still cause chaos. That's her only real end goal, after all."

"Well said," Ozpin agreed with a nod, turning to eye Ironwood, "Your forces are better left in defense of Vale and its walls."

"Then who would you plan on sending?" Ironwood asked, suppressing a moment of frustration, "Defending the city is all well and good, but I prefer a more… proactive approach, Oz."

"I know you do, James," Ozpin smiled, offsetting the tension that had only then began to mount, "Perhaps Qrow would be a good option? He is certainly the stealthiest of us."

"I don't know if he could take on that many by himself," Violet spoke up. She leaned forward in her chair, "From the way Roman described it, there's a _lot_ of White Fang there."

"All the better for drawing in Grimm before their plans go underway," Ironwood agreed.

Ozpin finally took a sip of his coffee before setting it back down on the desk with a sigh, "Then a team?" his eyes glimmered slightly, looking at Violet, "I don't suppose you were hoping to recommend that team _Vibrant_ take on the task?"

Violet opened her mouth to speak, but Weiss swiftly cut her off, "Unacceptable."

Violet paused, eyes widening in Weiss's direction.

"Did you have something you wished to say, Miss Schnee?"

"It would be too dangerous to send Violet out with only a small team at her side. Who's to say that Cinder isn't out there with an army of White Fang at her disposal?" Weiss avoided looking at Violet as she spoke, sure that she would see hurt or frustration on her friend's face, "I volunteer Siren for the task, and…" she glanced at Ironwood, "Winter, if you'll allow it."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow to Ironwood, who frowned in thought, "I _would_ feel better having Winter in charge instead of Qrow," he gave Ozpin an apologetic look, "Given his… nature… I would be hesitant to trust him on such a mission with a maiden in tow. We all know how that nearly ended the _last_ time."

"Now hold on," Violet narrowed her eyes, sparing a glare for both Ironwood and Weiss, "That wasn't Qrow's fault in the slightest. We _both_ got ahead of ourselves. It won't happen again, I can assure you of that."

"The fact remains that Qrow was the more experienced huntsman," Ironwood explained lightly, trying to avoid angering Violet any further, "And his semblance, well…"

"Qrow has always been more effective while going on missions by himself," Ozpin stepped in after Ironwood began to trail off, "If this mission calls for more than he's capable of, then we're better off sending in a different team altogether. Given the fact that both team Siren and Winter will work together more seamlessly due to their familiarity…" he smiled consolingly at Violet, "I have no choice but to send them both along with team Vibrant."

Violet sat back in her chair with a sigh of relief, while Weiss opened her mouth to argue. She was silenced by a look from Ozpin however, his gaze revealing that he wouldn't accept any arguments on that front. Weiss sat back and sighed along with Violet, though for completely the opposite reason.

Violet brought a hand over to rest it on Weiss's forearm, rubbing up and down it as if to console her, "It'll be alright, Weiss. Really! We'll take down that train no problem."

"I hope you're right, Violet…"

There was a moment of silence before it was interrupted by Ironwood, "Well, I'll leave it up to you to give Winter the details, Miss Schnee. I expect she'll want to meet with all of you as well, to get an idea for _who_ she's leading," his eyes rested on Violet, "Do you have any plans for this evening?"

Violet shrugged, "For later in the evening? Probably not," she checked the time on her scroll, seeing that they still had an hour before noon, "My team is heading out to Patch to see Tai and Qrow. After that, we should be fairly free aside from seeing team Coffee and Tukson off."

"Good. I'll have Glynda set aside a time for you all to meet in the arena. A demonstration is in order, for Winter, and myself."

"A demonstration…?" Weiss questioned hesitantly.

"We'll need to know what is at our disposal, after all," Ironwood confirmed, sending a glance towards Violet.

The leader of Vibrant nodded offhandedly, "That's fine with me," she eyed Weiss next to her and smirked, "Maybe a little showcase will help get my friends off my back a bit. They seem to think a strong gust of wind is enough to knock me down."

"We're only trying to keep you safe, Violet."

"As you should," Ironwood interjected before either of the other two could, "Miss Regalia, if I might offer some advice?" at a nod from Violet, he continued, "I do not know if it is pride or something else entirely that holds you back from accepting help from others, but I would suggest you take it when offered. Alone, you may be able to accomplish many things, but with others at your side…? Tasks that appeared monumental before may become as easy as snapping your fingers."

Violet chuckled lightly, as if enjoying some personal joke that no one else was privy to, "You might be right, General. I'll have to work on that…" she glanced across the few others in the room, hands moving to her arms rests to prop herself up slightly, "If there's nothing else we needed to discuss…?"

"You are both free to leave," Ozpin nodded with a small smile, "Just be careful you don't burn down my school during your demonstration."

Violet laughed, "I'll _try_ not to," she turned to see the uncertain glance that Ironwood was sending Ozpin and smirked, "No promises, though~"

Violet got up and began walking to the elevator, while Weiss hesitated in place. There was one thing left that she wanted to talk to Professor Ozpin about, but… ' _It'll be better if Violet isn't around to hear it…_ ' When Violet turned back to her with a raised eyebrow, Weiss shooed her out with her hand, "I'll catch up downstairs. There's just something I wanted to talk to Ironwood about real quick. Family matters, that's all."

"Ah... alrighty then," Violet replied cheerily, stepping into the elevator and waving minutely as the doors began to close, "I'll be at the entrance when you're done."

Weiss nodded her understanding and waited for the doors to close completely before letting out a small sigh. She wasn't certain if her lie had really slipped by. Violet could be entirely too insightful in many instances. With a small shake of her head, Weiss turned back to see the expectant look on Ironwood's face. However, it was not to him that she directed her attention.

Weiss hesitated, knowing that she wouldn't be able to take the words back once she said them. Violet herself hadn't brought the issue to light, but then again… ' _She doesn't trust us to help… not really…_ '

With a long breath, Weiss summoned her confidence to speak.

"Something was off about Violet yesterday."

"Oh?" Ozpin frowned, sharing a worried glance with Ironwood before turning back to Weiss, "What makes you believe that?"

Weiss paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, speaking slowly as she tried to word her question without giving away too much, "I had a chance to speak with Yang a bit more on it, and… It sounds like Violet has had some sort of trauma in the past. When they initially pressed her for information about how she'd saved Yang and Ruby so long ago, Violet was always very evasive. If what Yang says is true… when the rest of her team caught her to demand answers, Violet broke down and avoided telling them the truth. I was just wondering…" she looked to Ironwood as well as Ozpin, now, "I would assume you both looked into her past…? Has Violet ever… _lost_ anyone?"

Ozpin sat forward with a frown and sent a furtive glance in Ironwood's direction. Ozpin brought his hands together in front of himself, steepling his fingers together in thought. After a few moments, he gave a small shrug of resignation, "None that I am aware of, Miss Schnee."

"I haven't read anything in the reports that would suggest as much," Ironwood agreed, "No hospitalizations, no records indicating a death of someone she may have been close to… I don't believe she's ever even attended a funeral."

"What was it about yesterday specifically that brought this line of questioning, Miss Schnee?" Ozpin followed it up, "You said she was acting strange?"

Weiss frowned, "Not _strange_ , exactly. We were... uh," she coughed to try and hide her embarrassment, "talking about whether or not we'd ever liked anyone. When we asked Violet to think on it, she sort of zoned out… I don't think she noticed, but her expression… She looked very confused, and then…"

Both of the older huntsmen waited expectantly for Weiss to finish what she was about to say. She gathered her thoughts once more, trying to piece together how best to explain, "After the first time they made her cry, Yang said that she didn't think Violet could _be_ upset, and yesterday… I understood what she meant. I thought something else had to be at play to leave her like that. She was… she was _heartbroken_. I could see it in her eyes… My first response was to look for a threat, thinking she was being affected by someone's semblance. It was just Violet, though… and whatever memories seem to haunt her."

Ozpin's expression was deeply troubled, though he tried to hide it behind his steepled hands. His voice came out clipped, carefully withholding his own doubt, "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Miss Schnee. I assure you that we will look into it... Unfortunately, if you had hoped that I would change my mind about whether or not to send Miss Regalia out on the mission, then you were sorely mistaken."

"I…" Weiss sank in her chair, eyes falling to the floor, "I _was_ hoping it would, but even still... I want what's best for Violet. She's helped a lot of us grow over the last few months. I would _hate_ not being able to return the favor."

"Violet is lucky to have someone like you on her side, Miss Schnee," Ironwood assured her, "I'll have another batch of requests issued to look into the matter."

Weiss perked up slightly, and stood up from her chair to head towards the elevator. She paused a moment longer, looking back over her shoulder to the pair of them, "If it helps, Violet _did_ give a name when she was lying to the rest of her team. Yang mentioned it just incase. It was something like… Jinn?"

"...Thank you, Miss Schnee," Ozpin replied slowly. He waved a hand for her to step into the elevator, who's doors had just then opened, "If you think of anything else, feel free to let me know..."

"Will do," Weiss smiled sadly and stepped into the elevator. She was hardly given a chance for a farewell before the doors closed.

Weiss sighed and let her head fall forward to rest against the doors, letting her shoulders slacken as she did.

' _I'm sorry for going behind your back, Violet. We want you to be happy, though. I hope you'll understand that…_ '

After a few moments spent in silent contemplation, Weiss stood up straight and prepared a smile for when the doors opened.

* * *

"You can't tell me you didn't recognize that name, Oz," Ironwood said matter-of-factly, eyes glued to his fellow Headmaster and man of _many_ lives, "Who is it?"

Ozpin raised a hand to sweep it back and forth through his hair, finally resting his fingers on the bridge of his nose while his eyes grew clouded. A storm of doubt roiled behind them. After a handful of seconds, he finally replied in a low, unsettled tone.

"Not someone that _Violet Regalia_ has any right to know…"

* * *

"Guys, seriously. What is this all about?" Yang demanded, staring from one teammate to the next as they all refused to answer. Blake and Ruby both avoided her gaze, while Violet only smiled lightly.

"Told you, Yang. It isn't for us to say," Violet stepped forward to wrap an arm around her shoulder and turn her back towards the slowly approaching form of Patch, "Besides, you should never ask for spoilers~"

"I think I'd appreciate them when its about my _own_ life," Yang shot back with a glare. She crossed her arms in a huff, but let Violet's hand remain around her shoulders, "Maybe I should start telling everyone at school about how bad you _snore_."

Violet laughed, "You aren't going to threaten me into giving away this one, Yang. Sorry~"

Yang jerked her head away to look out across the water, hiding the pure frustrated grimace that broke out across her lips. She muttered quietly, certain that Violet would still hear it, "You _do_ snore, though. You should work on that."

"What!?" Yang could feel Violet's eyes on her, the arm wrapped around her shoulders tensing slightly before shifting. Violet turned to look back at the other two, "Is that true!? Do I _snore_!?"

"Ummm," Blake's ears twitched wildly before she coughed into her hand, "It's uhh, charming…?"

Violet hung her head, chin falling against her chest in despair, "Why didn't anyone tell me? I would've..."

"Would have what? Stopped?" Yang laughed to show how much she thought of that. Taiyang was a notoriously loud snorer as well, and from what few stories she'd heard, both Raven _and_ Summer had given up trying to fix that small flaw.

Violet smiled weakly and gave a small shrug, letting her hand fall off Yang's shoulder as the ferry arrived at the dock along the shore of Patch. The group had chosen to head out to the small town in their combat outfits, weapons in their rightful places. The way that Violet hadn't allowed Penny to come along with them had only furthered Yang's suspicions. Violet had been nothing but accommodating to any request the odd Atlesian girl had made since her arrival.

Ruby zipped off the ship in a semblance infused dash and reformed on the docks, raising her arms high and stretching, "Oh~ It's good to be back!"

Blake used the gangplank carefully, walking exactly down the center while eyeing the open sides that led to the ocean water below, "I'll admit, I'm excited to see where you two grew up."

"Or how much it's changed since I was here last," Violet admitted with a dry chuckle, "We weren't here for very long last time. Me running off with you two kind of put my parents in a… let's say, ' _non-vacation_ ' kind of mood."

"Yeah, near death experiences have a tendency to do that," Yang smirked, walking off the ship ahead of Violet who took up the rear, "You're going to be disappointed, though. Patch is a pretty quiet town. Not much has changed, really."

"There's that new comic book store!" Ruby chipped in, eyes brightening as she put a finger to her chin in thought, "Ooh! And that bakery!"

Yang shook her head, "I mean anything _substantial_ , Rubes. It's still just a few streets connecting to one main road in the middle of town. Even the arcade hasn't been updated in years."

"Really?" Violet raised an eyebrow, seeming to be thinking back on something in particular, "We'll have to hit up the arcade on the way back into Vale, then. I'm curious whether or not something is still there…"

"Well, let's get whatever this is about over with then," Yang sighed, striding up the docks and into the treelines. Ruby fell in line next to her while Blake and Violet walked closely behind. Yang's trepidation only grew as she felt the tension in the air, the other three stealing nervous glances in her direction that she felt more than saw.

"If you all keep looking at me like that, I'm going to start throwing punches," Yang warned, shooting a glare at each of them in turn, "It's bad enough that you won't tell me what this is all about."

"Sorry…" Ruby and Blake both mumbled quietly. Their eyes fell to the dirt road beneath their feet, hesitant to raise beyond that incase they might incur Yang's wrath.

"Alright, alright," Violet raised her hands placatingly, "Let's just hurry up then, shall we?"

Yang rolled her eyes and chose to stew in silence as they began the lengthy journey back to the Xiao Long cabin. She marched ahead, ignoring the quiet conversation that picked up behind her between the other three. They spoke of nothing consequential, and Yang gave it just as little mind.

Soon enough the cabin came into view, their steps winding along the dirt trail until it had long since come into sight through the treeline. Yang paused in her approach, feet slowing down as she saw her father and uncle standing outside the home, both appearing apprehensive when their eyes fell on Yang's own.

Blake's comforting hand on her shoulder urged her to continue forward, and Yang was glad for the support, ' _Even if I don't know what this is all about…_ ' She picked her pace back up and looked more closely, spotting the way her father's eyes darted away from her own on closer inspection.

Tai opened the door and gestured for them to enter. Yang frowned as she stepped inside first and the smell of something cooking hit her nose. Her suspicions only grew when she noticed that the living room furniture had been rearranged. The couch and recliners had been arranged so that both recliners faced the couch, set next to each other in a way that didn't even face the monitor.

Qrow gestured for her to sit down on the couch as he followed in after, then moved to sit in one of the recliners. He was joined soon enough by Tai in the other. Yang took the wordless suggestion and sat down near the middle of one of the couches, shuffling awkwardly when Ruby and Blake sat down close to either side of her. Violet hesitated a moment, then chose to stand behind her instead of sitting as well.

" _So?_ " Yang demanded sharply, crossing her arms once more to stare down her father and Qrow, "Nobody wanted to tell me what this was about until we were here," her eyes glanced around the room, "Sure doesn't look like a surprise party."

Tai and Qrow exchanged a glance before Qrow sighed audibly, placing his elbows against his knees while he leaned forward, "Don't be mad at them, Firecracker. Your father and I… we wanted to be the ones that told you the truth. Your friends were nice enough to agree to it, despite… their own feelings on the issue…"

Yang opened her mouth for a retort, but was interrupted by her father, who finally managed to get his vocal cords working properly, "It's about your _mother_ , Yang."

Yang's eyes narrowed, confusion and doubt beginning to mount, "What? After all these years, _now_ you want to talk about her? Why the change of heart?"

Tai closed his eyes, struggling to continue, so Qrow picked up the slack with a grimace, "Because _they_ ," he nodded his chin towards her teammates as he said it, "found out the truth."

"And what _truth_ is that?"

"Your mother… Raven," Qrow rubbed his face for a moment, ending up with his chin resting against them, "We _know_ why you want to become a huntress, Yang. You want to find her, right? Just to be sure… what were you hoping you'd find?"

Yang balked, having her own secret revealed so blatantly in front of her team. She hadn't told _any_ of them yet, and hadn't really planned on doing so until… well… ' _They didn't have to know…_ '

"What did I want to _find_?" Yang's anger grew at the way the question had been phrased, voice now dripping with acidity, "I didn't expect to find out she was a great mother all along, if _that's_ what you mean. All I wanted was a damn apology, and some _answers_. Things that neither of _you_ ever felt like giving me!"

"Nothing would come of it, Yang," Tai spoke up, placing a hand on Qrow's forearm to request his silence, "Raven doesn't care about you, or me. She never did."

Yang sat back, a dismal hope that she had kept hidden from herself surging to the forefront, desperately grasping for any hint that what her father had said was a lie, "She _married_ you. How could she not care!?"

Her father sighed, "Raven _tried_ , Yang. That's _all_ I can say in her favor. After we graduated from Beacon and had a few years under our belts as a real team, it really seemed like she'd made a full turn recovery from her time in the tribe. Raven was never the most modest or humble person, but she was our teammate, and we… _I_ learned to love her."

"Then what changed? Why'd she _leave_?"

"She was afraid, Yang. Deep down underneath it all, Raven's tough attitude was only a way to hide her own insecurities. Once you were born, and she realized how much responsibility was on her shoulders because of it… she ran."

Yang had always known her mother had left abruptly, but to hear that she had ditched her own daughter so soon? A lifetime of suppressed anger began to rear its head.

"Where is she _now_?"

Tai glanced over to Qrow, who took the gesture as a sign to take things from there, "I manage to keep in touch. Not much, and only when she wants to talk, but… Raven took over the Branwen Tribe on Mistral. They're bandits, Yang. Raiders that attack villages and don't care about the casualties they leave behind."

"That's…" ' _awful…_ '

However, some small shred of hope remained, ' _If she's all the way in Mistral, then maybe…?_ '

"It isn't as if she could have visited, then. How do you know she hasn't changed her mind after all these years?"

"Raven could have visited any time she wanted to."

"But-"

" _No_ , Yang," Qrow shook his head firmly, "You don't understand. I don't mean packing up her bags and coming over for a trip to visit. Your mother…"

Tai noticed Qrow faltering and jumped in, though he appeared just as anxious as the man next to him, "It's because of Raven's semblance, Yang. _That's_ how we know."

"What… What _is_ her semblance?" Yang asked the question with a hint of worry in her own voice, incapable of holding back her fear of the answers she was about to receive.

' _Surely it isn't that big of a deal…?_ '

Qrow raised his eyes, giving Yang a pained look that spoke volumes of the torment he was currently undergoing, the sorrow he felt for his niece, "...Raven can create _portals_. She can travel from _anywhere_ to the people she's close to. I… I don't want you to get the wrong idea. Being Raven's kid… of _course_ she'd have a portal to you. What mother wouldn't feel even the slightest bit of attachment to their own kid? But even with her semblance… she _never_ came back, Yang. She chose _herself_ over you."

' _But…_ ' Yang's eyes glossed over, the tears beginning to come unbidden. She held them back as well as she could, looking to her father for confirmation, voice cracking, "I-Is that true...?"

Her father could only nod.

Yang broke.

For as long as she could remember, it had been her mission, her secret desire, to find her mother. After Summer had died, and they'd been left with only a withdrawn Tai and depressed Qrow to look after them, Yang had _promised_ Ruby that she would find them another mother, ' _My mother,_ ' to replace what they'd lost.

Yang's shoulders racked with heavy sobs as she dropped her head into her hands, golden hair falling to the sides to obscure her face from both Ruby and Blake. Tears wet her eyes, dripping free to roll down her cheeks and across her palms. She hardly felt the warmth of her teammates pressing up against her, hands moving to her back in an attempt to soothe her. She was locked in her own small world, overcome by despair.

' _All this time, all the training I went through… and for what!? Nothing!_ ' Her mother didn't care. She'd _never_ cared. Raven could have stepped back into her life at any point in time. Yang's body shook, seething with a newfound outrage that fought in equal parts with her anguish.

In only a few short moments, her father had moved across the intervening space to fall to his knees in front of her. Yang felt her arms get pushed to the side as Tai wrapped his own around her, thick muscles pulling her against his chest. Despite the anger she felt, her arms wrapped around him in kind, pulling him in as tightly as she could to feel some modicum of the love he was trying to show her.

"I'm _sorry_ , Yang. This… this is why we didn't want to tell you. I don't know if you'll ever forgive us, but…" her father's voice cracked, choking on his own emotions as well, "I only ever wanted you to be _happy_."

"I-I don't…" Yang turned her head to the side so that she wasn't muffling herself nearly as much, voice coming out in a strained whisper regardless, "I don't blame you…"

Her father raised his hand, running it slowly through the length of her golden hair. Yang could feel it tugging ever so lightly against her head, the motion somehow soothing despite the fact that she never let _anyone_ touch it. After what felt like an eternity, the sad spasms that racked her body began to die down, her tears drying up over time. Yang let herself be lulled by that feeling, and firmly pressed the side of her face against his burly chest.

She felt the twin hands of both Ruby and Blake rubbing against her back in smooth, circular motions. Eventually, her breathing returned to a steady rhythm, and she sniffled one final time before pulling back to wipe off her cheeks. Yang shared a sad smile with her sister and Blake, then turned around to face Violet's consoling eyes.

"I'm sorry, Yang. We wanted to tell you sooner, but… I didn't think it would be fair to your father or Qrow if they didn't get the chance to explain themselves. I thought you'd be more upset at them, if we'd been the ones to tell you… I hope you don't think I was just keeping secrets again."

"N-No… you were right to let them tell me, Vi…" Yang acknowledged sadly, giving her father and Qrow a faint smile. A thought came to her, and she turned back with a weakly raised eyebrow, "How did you find out in the first place?"

Violet scratched her cheek, shame partially hidden, "I… I hate to give her credit for anything, Yang… but, she made up for Qrow's and my failure, the night of the explosion…"

Yang's brow furrowed in confusion, and she turned back to Qrow, a silent question plain across her features.

"Raven… she's the only reason I survived that night, Firecracker. My sister forms bonds with people in order to use her semblance. Through them, she can feel their emotions… She probably felt that something was off about me, and showed up in time to save me."

"She… _saved_ you?" Yang shook her head, confusion mounting, "Why would she do that if she only cares about herself?"

"It's her rule. Everybody gets 'one'… Honestly, I think she uses that as an excuse, but…" Qrow shrugged weakly.

"One? One what?" Yang frowned, eyes growing distant and voice lowering, "She'll show up to save someone's she close to only _once_!?" her eyes darted back up to her father's, a horrific idea coming to realization, "So _what_ , Summer had already _used_ hers!?"

Tai and Qrow's eyes widened, giving Yang all the confirmation she needed. ' _That… what kind of person…_!' With her sadness forgotten, Yang's rage began to return with a vengeance. She could sense the world around her going red as her eyes flashed crimson, a dull glow beginning to emanate from her golden hair, "That… that _bitch_!"

' _Summer was the best mom we could have ever had!_ '

"She just _let_ her die!?"

Yang heard Ruby let out a choked gasp next to her and stood, an idea firmly planting itself in her mind while her rage seethed uncontrollably. ' _So, she'll show up once, will she?_ ' Yang's hands clenched into tight fists, and she ignored the voices of those around her as she strode out of the cabin, slamming the door behind her so hard she heard the frame crack.

' _Well, I guess I'll just have to make her show herself!_ '

* * *

"Yang, wait!" Violet called out, making it only a few steps towards the door before Tai stepped in front of her, holding his hands up.

"Hold on. Let us talk to her," Tai spoke with a hitch in his throat, eyeing Violet with a pleading gaze, "She can't go far. We'll try and calm her down before she does anything rash."

"You _saw_ that look in her eyes, Tai," Violet said harshly, knowing that something 'rash' was _exactly_ what Yang was about to go do, "I can help calm her down, too."

Qrow stepped up next to Tai and looked between them, indecision eating away at him for a moment. He finally sighed heavily, and looked to Violet before shaking his head, "We've got this, kid," he glanced past, hearing the sniffling sobs of Ruby on the couch, "...there's someone else that needs you right now."

Violet grimaced, caught between her desire to help both of her teammates simultaneously and eyes darting between Ruby and the door. After a few seconds, she gave in, "You'd _better_ fix this…"

"Hey, we've lived with Yang her entire life," Qrow chuckled, placing his hand on Tai's shoulder and pulling him towards the door, "We got this."

Violet had begun to turn around back towards Ruby and Blake while Qrow was reaching out for the door when the loud rumble of a motorcycle broke the momentary silence. Violet whipped her eyes back around, and Qrow's own widened before he ripped the door open in a rush.

The doors to the shed slammed apart as Yang crashed through them, snapping the lock on the large double doors while plowing through on Bumblebee. She skidded to a halt for a moment, burning red eyes glancing back over her shoulder towards the figures in the doorway. With an angry curl of her lips, she twisted the handle to open the throttle wide. The back tire spit out dirt, then caught well enough to launch her forward.

In only a few seconds, Yang and her motorcycle were lost to sight through the trees, and Violet was left with a burning hole in her stomach.

' _Yang… what are you doing…?_ '


	35. TRQY

Yang tore down the dirt road and back through the small town of Patch faster than any of them could have possibly followed, before skidding to a stop at the docks. Fortunately enough for her, the timing had worked out perfectly. The ferry itself was already boarding passengers for the return trip to Vale. Yang joined the small throng, having to hop off her motorcycle and walk it up the gangplank.

Once situated on her own small section of the deck, Yang propped Bumblebee up with its kickstand and left it to grip the ship's railing tightly. She could tell her eyes were still burning with anger, and all thoughts were directed towards how she was going to enact her plan.

' _Where can I even go if I want to 'almost die'?_ '

Junior's wasn't much of an option. Yang had done nothing if not grow stronger since the beginning of the semester, and his goons hadn't really even put up much of a fight then. Aside from that, there were a few seedy underground fighting rings that she knew of, the Grimm, the Whi-...

Rattling off the list of possibilities brought back memories from the night before. Yang pulled out her scroll to double check her messages, going down the list until she'd found those from her Uncle, ' _Qrow did give us the address for that White Fang hideout in the Industrial District…_ '

Yang bit her lip, ' _Is that going too far? Qrow said they had mechs there. The… Paladins, or something? I've never seen any before, but he made them sound dangerous. If all he's got to compare them to is those stupid androids then that shouldn't be a problem though._ '

On the other hand… ' _I am the third strongest in our year, and those White Fang goons didn't seem to be anything special when we fought them on the docks,_ ' Yang grumbled quietly, staring off into the distance at Vale as the ship slowly made its approach, ' _If it wasn't dangerous, then my mom wouldn't have any reason to show up, right?_ '

Yang nodded to herself firmly, done weighing the pros and cons of her only option.

' _Time to crash a party._ '

* * *

"Yang! Come back!" Tai shouted after his daughter, cupping his hands together around his mouth. His cries fell on deaf ears, met only by the steadily dissipating roar of Yang's motorcycle in the distance.

"She's gone, Tai," Qrow stated before sighing in vexation, "Personally, this is what _I_ was always afraid of if we told her."

Tai checked over his shoulder to see that his daughters' team leader was still standing there as well, staring after where Yang had gone, "Hey, Violet. Can you leave me and Qrow alone for a minute?"

Vibrant eyes frowned for a moment before flickering to Qrow and back to Tai, "Sure thing." She heard the sound of Ruby sniffling behind her and turned as well for a moment, "I've uh… got someone else that needs me anyway."

Violet shut the door, though the frame was partially broken and left the door cracked open. Tai stepped in front of it to make sure any view of Qrow would be blocked, "Can you catch up with her?"

Qrow grumbled and rolled his shoulders, "It'll be tough. I swear we shouldn't have let her make so many damn modifications to that bike of hers. Things barely street legal," he grinned slightly and gave Tai a wink, "These old bones still got some juice left in 'em, though."

"Good. Try and keep an eye on her… If I know Yang, and I _do_ , then she's taking that whole 'one' rule and running with it. I'll try and get into contact with Raven in the meantime. This is partially her fault as well."

"Partially?" Qrow scoffed, "I'd say all of it, but… No use pointing fingers now."

In a dark flash, Qrow's body vanished, weapon and all, to be replaced by the black feathered bird that was his namesake. With a brief flap of wings, he took off into the sky, arcing over the treetops in the direction of Patch.

Tai watched him leave for a few more moments, then stepped back inside the cabin. Violet and the other girl, Blake, were each sitting on opposite sides of Ruby, doing their best to comfort her.

Violet in particular glanced up as Tai walked in. Ruby was partially laying across her lap, Violet's hand running back and forth across her back in a soothing motion that had taken Tai ages to perfect.

"Qrow's going after her?"

Tai simply nodded, and Violet nodded in return, going back to the comfort she had been administering to Ruby. A light hum began to emanate from deep within her throat, and even Tai couldn't help but feel relaxed by its gentle tones.

Seeing that Ruby was being cared for well enough, Tai retreated upstairs into his room and pulled out his scroll. He opened up his contacts and hesitated over Yang's number, but ultimately knew that she would ignore any attempts at calling her during her current mood. Tai scrolled down further, to the only contact who's name had been left as 'unlisted'.

Tai sighed as he pressed the call button and waited.

And waited.

And waited…

The call went to voicemail several times over the course of the next five minutes. Tai could feel his blood pressure rising each time, and began to pace back and forth across the room while waiting for the call to connect.

Finally, a small clicking sound notified him that someone had picked up the line. However, it remained silent, and Tai's pacing slowed to a stop while he narrowed his eyes at the device.

"Raven."

After a few moments, the sound of his ex-wife's voice crackled through, the reception terrible from the middle of the wilderness and the screen remaining black.

"Tai."

Already, Tai could feel his blood beginning to boil, but he allowed cooler heads to prevail and kept his tone from having too much of a bite to it, "We need to talk."

"I'm a little busy at the moment."

"This is important."

"It always _is_ with you people…" Raven sighed and Tai could almost hear the way she was likely rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

"Yang's about to do something… ill advised."

"As long as she's around Ozpin, I'd say that's a guarantee. Get to the _point_ , Tai."

Tai grit his teeth together to keep from snapping and clenched his fist tightly, "We had to tell her about you... She found out about your stupid rule. Now she's off doing Gods know what in order to get you to show up."

After a few moments, Raven laughed, "That was rather foolish of you. Yang has always been headstrong. If she wants something, she gets it." She made a small ' _hmmm_ ' in her throat, "Perhaps she and I _do_ share a few things in common..."

"The two of you are _nothing_ alike!" Tai's voice rose in ferocity before he could force himself to calm down, otherwise the children below might hear, "Just… This is on _you_. Go talk to her before she gets herself into trouble that even _you_ can't get her out of."

"But now I'm _intrigued_ … You have no idea how boring it can be out here in the forest. Just small villages and the occasional Grimm to keep me entertained… I might have to let this one play out…"

" _Raven…_ " Tai's veins bulged and his voice lowered threateningly, "If Yang gets _hurt_ because of your _arrogance_ , I'll-!"

Tai was cut off by the sound of a portal opening behind him. He spun quickly, barely registering that the call had abruptly ended as Raven stepped through. She was fully dressed in her battle attire, red and black armor gleaming as if it had been freshly cleaned. One hand rested on the hilt of her weapon, and her crimson eyes pierced into Tai's blue.

"You'll do _what_?" Raven's words were like ice, entirely devoid of any and all emotion, a clear warning that he should choose his words carefully.

Tai stood his ground, and slipped his own scroll back into his pocket before curling both hands into fists at his sides. He glared, staring at the woman that had given him a daughter who'd made the last seventeen years of his life both the greatest, and most stressful he could have imagined.

The corner of one lip raised in a nasty grin, "If you don't help…" his eyes stared just as fiercely back at her, "then _I'll_ stop being your _booty call_."

Raven glared at him for a few, tense seconds. Her hand still rested on the hilt of her sword, and her eyes stared straight back into Tai's. After a few moments, her hand fell away, and she instead crossed her arms while turning her head to look towards the wall, "Well, let's not get _hasty_ or anything. Yang does still have her 'one' after all..."

Tai felt the tension ease slightly and grumbled, "However you need to convince yourself…"

Raven's head snapped back in his direction, "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Tai shrugged, "You saved Qrow again, didn't you? How many 'ones' has that been so far? I've lost count."

"That's…!" Raven fumed, "That's _different_. He's a valuable source of information."

"And your _brother_."

Raven scoffed, "A meaningless connection."

Tai eyed the portal that was still open behind Raven, "But a _connection_ nonetheless. As much as you'd like to tell yourself that you don't _need_ anyone else… we both know that isn't true."

"And yet, who is it that's come _crawling_ for help?" Raven demanded, taking another step closer to Tai with her hand returning to her hilt, "Was it I that called fifteen times?"

Tai snorted, "You counted, huh?"

"That's not the point!" Raven's face had grown flustered, her usual airs of aggression failing when it came to Tai. He had always been the one person to see past her mask, and do so while wearing a devilish grin of his own.

Tai raised his hand to lay it on her shoulder, causing her eyes to narrow even further and her hand to clutch her hilt in a white knuckled grip. Tai opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as Raven's scroll began to buzz in her pocket.

The tension between them could have been cut with a knife, and by the way the veins in Raven's forearm bulged, she was nearly ready to do just that. Tai slowly allowed his hand to drop away and, after a moment, Raven backed up as well. She reached into her pocket to pull out her scroll and checked the caller ID, a slight grimace appearing on her face.

With a swift press of a button, the call was accepted and Qrow's voice rushed over the line.

"I need you here. _Now!_ "

Raven raised an eyebrow, voice immediately dropping into a teasing tone, "So deman-"

" _No_ , Raven. We don't have time for your _games_. Now! Bring Tai if you can!"

Raven grit her teeth, not usually the type to take orders well, especially these days. With a frustrated roll of her eyes, the portal behind her closed, the dull red glow vanishing along with it. Raven unsheathed her weapon and slashed it through the air, a high pitched sound emanating from it as space itself was torn apart.

Raven ended the call and put her scroll away before gesturing with her free hand for Tai to go first. Tai stepped through warily, ushered by the urgency that had been in Qrow's voice.

A low breeze steadily blew over the rooftop that Tai appeared on, his feet stepping out on to reinforced concrete. A brief glance to his surroundings showed him that they were in the Industrial District. Qrow stood by the side of a glass skylight, staring down wide eyed into what sounded like a battle currently taking place.

Raven appeared through the portal next, allowing it to close once more. She looked to Qrow first, then followed his gaze down into the building they stood upon. Raven smirked, "I'll tell you what, the brats got guts."

The distinct sound of Ember Celica caught Tai's ears, and he hurried closer to stare down past the grimy windows into the building below. Gunfire crackled and screams reached their ears as a flurry of yellow blasted its way across the battlefield, dispatching White Fang members with heavy blows and acrobatically avoiding the attacks directed at her in turn.

"We've gotta get in there!" Tai demanded loudly.

Qrow smirked, casting his gaze over to his sister, "Well, Raven? You wanna show off and teach the kid a thing or two for old times' sake?"

Raven let out a brief laugh, "Yang may not be Summer, but… she'll do."

With a spread of her hands, a massive portal stretched into existence across the rooftop.

More than big enough for three hunters on the prowl.

* * *

Roman had been having a good day, all things considered, but when the walls shook and the screams of the men in the other room began, he knew that peace was about to come to an end.

' _Kids a little late on the whole 'update' shtick. Kind of the whole point of sharing information!_ ' Roman snatched his cane from where it had been propped near his desk and angrily draped it over his shoulder. He strode to the door and wrenched it open, pausing for a moment to listen to the sounds of fighting taking place just down the hall.

With a weary sigh, he continued on to the end and stepped around the corner. His eyes widened, seeing that it was only the blond facing down dozens of armed White Fang members. By their own volition, a few of them were scurrying off to jump into half finished Paladins, the guts of their inner wiring and explosives still exposed to the world.

' _Greeeeaaaattt… If Cinder hears about me losing to one of those kids, she'll have my head! If I kill Blondie, then the purple one will end up coming after me…_ '

Roman was grinding his cane against the floor in frustration when his indecision was swept clear. A bright red glow encompassed the interior of the normally dimly lit building, radiating from the ceiling where an enormous red… _something..._ had opened up.

One of the Paladins whirred to life, the driver's canopy not even attached, leaving the dumb animal controlling it exposed to the world around him. His hands fought with the controls, managing to bring the Paladin to a standing position and aim it towards the blond.

It had only taken a single step before a red blade flashed out from the bowels of the portal, spearing directly through the pilot's chest and nailing him to the seat. The Paladin itself was stalled by the impact. With the pilot no longer in control, its top half became unbalanced, causing it to topple backwards into the scaffolding that had surrounded it. A few faunus screamed from where they'd been hiding, crushed beneath the debris of both mech and metal.

' _Yeah, I'm not cleaning that up!'_

Roman only stayed long enough to see the three hunters drop from the portal before making his escape.

* * *

The sound of metal suddenly snapping open was followed by the roar of Yang's motorcycle as she plowed through a set of heavy doors. Shouts followed in her wake, the White Fang lookouts being completely caught off guard by her appearance and subsequent beeline for their hideout.

Dozens of White Fang spun to face her, in the midst of working on the large Paladins situated around the interior. With only an immediate glance, Yang could tell that many of them likely weren't operational, their wiring and insides exposed to the world while they were being worked on. It was a good thing, too. They were much larger than she had anticipated.

Seeing a group of White Fang dropping blowtorches and wrenches to instead reach for weapons nearby, Yang steered Bumblebee in their direction and leaped off, coming up in a roll to see her precious motorcycle slam into the group. Those hit yelled in pain while others flung themselves to the side, distracted for the moment while Yang got her bearings.

The industrial building consisted of mostly empty space around the center of the floor, the space used for ferrying equipment and dust to the mechs that needed it. The outside edge was lined with pillars, one mech set between each pair. Many were still half covered with tarps, all of them with makeshift scaffolding surrounding them along with faunus that had been busy working. At the far end of the room sat a stage of sorts, moreso a raised platform with an open archway leading further in.

Yang only had a moment to take all this in before the first gunshots were fired off in her direction. Her aura flared beneath the barrage and she quickly jumped into action, blasting across the intervening space to one of the other groups that had begun to open fire. Their eyes widened as their bullets pinged off her aura, her eyes alight with a primal rage that wasn't quite directed at them.

' _You wanted danger, Mother. Well here it is!_ '

Yang fell upon the small group and turned into a flurry of fists and shotgun blasts, using her all to redirect barrels and swords alike while decimating her foes with heavy blows to anywhere she could. The gunfire from across the room stopped, the other White Fang members unwilling to fire upon their own while the blond bombshell was within their midst.

Yang dispatched two by slamming their heads together, then ducked low to avoid the barrel pointed at her from behind. The faunus paled as the shot went off over Yang's head, then was immediately floored when the blond swept his legs out from under him. Yang grabbed him by the front of his uniform and angled herself towards the next closest group, front flipping with all her strength to hurl the White Fang member at his compatriots.

The shouted warnings were too slow, and several of them went down beneath the weight of their friend. Yang aimed her gauntlets behind herself and fired them off, flying back into the fray the moment they were caught off guard in the tangle of limbs.

More shouts, more gunshots, and a very loud whirring sound announced the arrival of more White Fang and one of the Paladins being brought to life. Yang ducked behind a concrete pillar the moment before another barrage of bullets pelted the air where she'd just been standing, the wall behind taking the brunt of it, the surface shattered by a spray of dust infused ammunition.

Yang peeked out the opposite side, and saw the Paladin stand up straight. The cockpit remained open, an angry faunus grasping at the controls to aim it in her direction. While many of the internal workings were exposed, Yang could see much of it had already been filled with explosives.

' _I'll have to take out the-_ '

The ceiling erupted in a dark red light, a massive portal reminiscent of the one Qrow had appeared from before now blanketing the entire ceiling. Yang's eyes widened, and she caught only a flickering of motion before a red blade flashed through the air in the direction of the Paladin. The blade aimed true, stabbing through the faunus's chest and causing the mech to fall back, its controls pulled the wrong direction by the dying faunus inside. It crashed into the scaffolding that had housed it before, a great plume of dust blown into the air along with the screams of White Fang members that had been caught in it as well.

Three shapes appeared from the portal, descending rapidly as they fell and landed in the center of the room. All eyes swivelled from the downed mech, to the three hunters now standing in the center. Yang's eyes widened. _Raven_ , she had been expecting. _Qrow_ was a surprise, but….

" _Dad!?_ " Yang shouted it out in utter bafflement, seeing her blond haired and scraggly chinned father standing with his arms raised and eyes narrowed.

Those eyes turned to her for a moment, and relaxed with a smile, "Hey, sweetheart. Once we're done here we'll talk, alright? Just give us a minute."

Hearing that the hunters weren't there to assist them, one of the White Fang members loudly shouted, "Open fire!"

Dozens of barrels jerked in their direction to do just that.

Raven smirked and planted her sword in the ground. The portal above winked out of existence, reappearing as a bubble that surrounded the three of them in all directions. Dust infused ammunition flashed through the air, different colored streaks that penetrated the portal, only to come out the other side in wild sprays. Yang ducked back behind her pillar and the faunus hit the deck, many getting caught completely off guard by the rounds their own members had fired. Dozens dropped like flies, their auras shredded in mere moments.

"Stop! Stop!" the one that had initially shouted for them to open fire followed up in a panic, then drew the sword off his hip with a snarl, "No more guns! Let's cut 'em down to size!"

Guns clattered to the ground and swords were drawn. After a moment of silence, the bubble dissipated to reveal a still grinning Raven. The three hunters sized up their quarry, and with a nod between them, fell upon the gathered White Fang in a blur of blades and fists.

Yang stared in awe, watching from her place on the sidelines, realizing exactly how much cohesion was possible with a team of true hunters. Portals flashed in and out of existence around each of the three members, the ones nearest understanding immediately what it was they were supposed to do. The group flickered around the battlefield, appearing and disappearing at any given time to assist others or dodge attacks. Raven herself used them both to defend, counterattack, and disperse enemies by knocking them through into the waiting jaws of either Tai or Qrow.

Tai used only his fists to fight, projecting aura with each blow that greatly increased the impact it achieved. Faunus were blown away by his attacks, crumpling against walls and mechs alike from only a single strike. Qrow fought with his greatsword, wielding it with an inhuman strength and speed that didn't match his physique.

Yang's eyes remained on Raven, who fought with an unmatched level of skill and speed. She was a red and black blur across the battlefield, both physically agile and through the use of her semblance. Her eyes tracked all around her, responding to openings and gaps in other's defenses the instant they appeared, and capitalizing on them without mercy.

Within a mere minute, the dozens of amassed White Fang members had been reduced to an unconscious gathering of bodies strewn around the battlefield in a haphazard configuration, and the three hunters appeared no worse for wear. The last portal was dismissed, its red glow vanishing and returning the interior to a mostly dim light. Several faunus groaned from their places on the ground, aura shattered and many bones likely broken in the sudden fray.

' _...Wow…_ ' Yang's mind struggled to wrap her head around what she had just seen. Qrow had bragged many times about how team STRQ had been the best to ever come out of Beacon, but this was the first time she'd ever truly believed it. ' _They're… they're amazing…_ '

Qrow eyed their surroundings for a moment before pulling out his scroll and typing out a message. He hit send and repocketed it, speaking loud enough for the others to hear, "I gave Jimmy a heads up. He should get here with some of his tin cans to clean up," he glanced in Yang's direction, "I'll stick around in the meantime and make sure no one tries anything. I think some of you have some talking to do?"

Raven followed his eyes over to Yang, the first time she had even bothered to look her in the eyes. Raven's features remained guarded, and she looked to Tai for a moment before slicing open another portal, "I only have one other that I can go to."

Tai seemed to understand, and nodded his head in acceptance before turning back to Yang with a weary smile, "Well, Yang… Here's your chance…"

Yang's eyes stared at the portal, watching as Raven gestured with an open hand towards it. The rippling surface beckoned to her, and she slowly stumbled out of cover to cross the distance to it. Yang stopped in front of it, and turned her eyes to stare into Raven's own. Her mother looked back, expression unreadable.

The reason why Yang had made her decision returned, the disappearance of her _other_ mother becoming a burning desire for answers in her mind. The way the three had fought together only further solidified the betrayal in Yang's eyes, driving home how terrible Raven must be.

' _They were all so close…_ ' Seeing them fight had only made her think of more questions.

Yang glared into Raven's eyes, ' _You'd_ _ **better**_ _have answers_.'

She stepped through the portal... and was gone.


	36. Attachments

Yang stepped out into a dimly lit tent, its walls made of a thick canvas and supported on the inside by tall wooden beams. A singular oil lantern lit the room, resting on a small coffee table near the center. Rugs lay littered across the floor, haphazard shapes and sizes that left some areas barren while doubling up in others.

A brunette sat at the table cross-legged, with fine features and exceptionally short hair. She lowered the tea cup in her hands while looking up at Yang, the slightest of smirks appearing on her face, "So, the prodigal daughter finally arrives."

Yang narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip, "And who are you? Raven's maid?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak once more but was interrupted as Raven stepped through the portal, allowing it to close behind her. Raven's eyes fell on the girl, and she nodded her head towards the tent flap, "Give my daughter and I some peace, Vernal. I'll come get you once we're done."

Vernal hopped up to her feet and gave a small shrug, "Don't take too long," her eyes drifted to Yang, that same smirk reappearing, "There's more important things that you need to attend to."

" _Thank you_ , Vernal," Raven replied in a clipped tone, cutting off the heated retort Yang was about to administer.

Vernal strutted out of the tent, and was lost to sight.

Silence prevailed for a few moments between the two, with Raven looking Yang up and down, while Yang did the same in turn. With a weary sigh, the older woman gestured towards the spot that Vernal had recently vacated, "You're free to sit." Raven took her own advice, and unstrapped her weapon from her hip before sitting down on one of the cushions across the table.

Yang hesitantly sat, continuing to eye her surroundings while thinking of how to start the conversation. The room itself was filled with a multitude of odd knick-knacks, and Yang realized quickly enough that they were likely the spoils from different raids on nearby Mistral towns. The bed on the opposite side was enormous, and had blankets and pillows heaped on top of it in a myriad of colors.

"Tea?"

Yang turned to see Raven gesturing with a small, finely designed cup, steam slowly rising up from within. Her eyes burned, and she couldn't help but snear across at her mother, "Who'd you steal it from?"

Raven raised her eyes in thought and brought the steaming cup to her lips, sipping lightly while she hummed before replying, "Kuroyuri, I believe? Tough to find finer materials anywhere, aside from the City of Mistral itself."

"And how many did you kill to get it…?"

Raven raised an eyebrow, "Do they even teach you kids anymore, or is Oz satisfied with throwing ignorant children into battles they can't hope to win?" she shook her head while Yang glared, "Kuroyuri has _long_ since been destroyed. _I_ had no part in it."

Yang crossed her arms with a huff, then nodded off towards a painting hanging off one of the wooden beams, "And that?"

Raven followed her gaze to it, "Bought it from an artist in Shion."

"And your armor?" Yang was getting frustrated. All she wanted was for her mother to admit what she was, yet the woman seemed adamant to play it off.

"Made it myself~" Raven gave Yang a smug look and sipped her tea once more, then placed the cup down on the table, "Yes, Yang. No doubt your father or Qrow has told you their interpretation of what I am."

"You're a bandit," Yang stated angrily, "Not much to 'interpret' about that. You steal from others, pillaging and killing wherever you go."

Raven scoffed, "You make it sound as if I'm some mass murderer. We don't kill if we can help it, Yang," she shook her head, "What do you think happens if we cause too much fear?"

It didn't take a genius to figure it out, "The Grimm will be drawn in…"

"And then the town that we attacked will get overrun, the goods we wanted will be destroyed, and we'll be left with one less town to steal from. We need the towns to survive just as much as they do."

"What you're doing is still wrong," Yang retorted harshly, trying to stare down the older woman, "You don't deserve anything you've stolen."

"On the contrary, we provide a vital service to the surrounding area," Raven remained calm, voice changing as if she was speaking to a child, "An entire camp full of bandits is sure to generate negative emotions, don't you think?" she didn't bother to wait for a reply, "With the amount of Grimm we kill, we're certainly saving those towns from attacks with our mere presence. If we packed up and moved out, who then would their attention fall to more frequently?"

"And what? You expect them to thank you!?"

"No. I expect them to pay for the protection we provide. All I take in return for our services are enough supplies for my men, and some… mild extravagences for myself."

Yang's anger boiled, hearing the woman trying to justify the things she'd done as if they were perfectly acceptable in her eyes, "How _commendable_."

"Thank you," Raven grinned, clearly knowing that Yang had meant it sarcastically, "But I'm sure that isn't what you're here for. What has you so desperate for my attention that you would run off to try and get yourself killed? I hope it isn't boy troubles. I'm clearly the last one you'd want to talk to about that."

Yang grit her teeth, breathing heavily through her nose as her original outrage boiled to the surface. There was a question she wanted answered; one that had caused her to take such drastic measures in the first place, "How could you let Summer die? Did the thought of us having a mother offend you so much that you wouldn't even save your own teammate!?" her eyes became moist, the sheer frustration getting the better of her, "What is wrong with you!?"

Raven returned her glare, "Wrong with _me_? Nothing. Qrow and the others are the ones that are delusional, choosing to follow Ozpin in his _endless_ war. I got out when I could, and if Summer had been smart, she would have done the same."

Yang pounded her hand down on top of the table, sending a web of cracks out from the place she'd hit, " _You_ don't get to talk bad about her! At least she was there for us!"

"And she still _would be_ if she'd listened!" Raven shouted in return, a snarl following not long after, "I told her not to go!"

Yang paused, losing the thread of the argument as there was something she clearly didn't know, "Told her not to go where?"

Raven's anger dissipated, hands raising her cup back to her lips. She drank deeply, buying herself time to think while Yang waited impatiently. Finally, the cup was lowered once more, and Raven's eyes drilled into Yang's own, "How much have they told you? About the Grimm, or about what that girl is?"

Yang frowned in confusion, "I know what Grimm are… and what do _you_ know about Violet?"

"I know that her powers are beyond those of other Maidens. That she's special, somehow… and that Ozpin is putting all of his faith in her."

"The Headmaster trusts us… So, what?" Yang was shocked to find out her mother already knew about Violet. That knowledge was _supposed_ to be kept a secret from everyone. Had Qrow let it slip, or had she found out some other way?

"There's a difference between trust, and _faith_. Ozpin trusts few. He has faith in none, at least… not until now," Raven seemed to size her up, looking deeply into Yang's eyes, "There... is an enemy of humanity. It's lived for countless generations, preying off our fears, dividing us, searching for an opening to potentially kill us all… and I _don't_ mean the Grimm… I'm talking about the one _controlling_ them."

' _An enemy of humanity? Controlling the Grimm?_ ' Yang shook her head, "Impossible. You aren't making any sense. Nothing _controls_ the Grimm."

"Salem does," Raven replied simply, watching Yang to look for a hint or flicker of recognition. When her frown only deepened, Raven nodded, "Ozpin hasn't even told you why your friend is so important. I figured as much. Like I said, he trusts only a few. Tends to keep his secrets close to the chest… Otherwise, I'm sure more would end up like me."

"That's… ridiculous."

"Is there anything different about your teammate?" Raven leaned forward, pressing the issue, "There must be something. The Maidens have existed for decades at least, maybe even centuries. Why is she so special?"

_A flash of neon eyes, an alpha beowolf going up in purple flames. An enormous, impenetrable King Taijitu, brought low by the gaze of a girl that Yang had stood her ground to protect._

"She's… just like anyone else…"

Raven sensed Yang's hesitation, her hand moving up to grip the edge of the table tightly, "You know something. What is it?"

Yang narrowed her eyes, "If I did, then why would I tell _you_?"

Raven glared, "Because like it or not, we're _all_ enemies of Salem. The only difference is that I try to stay out of her way. No good will come of it."

"How can you say that?" Yang's temper flared, "I watched the three of you fight only a few minutes ago. You were all amazing! Let's say this person you're rambling on about _does_ exist. What's stopping you from taking her out?"

"The same thing that's stopping Oz, or Ironwood, or Lionheart. Salem. Can't. Die."

Yang wanted to roll her eyes at the impossibility, but the seriousness her mother had put into the words stopped her. While she found the idea of an immortal woman hellbent on the world's destruction ridiculous, her mother seemed to believe it. Her mind then shifted focus back to her thoughts of Violet, and the effect that her powers appeared to have on the Grimm, how the Taijitu didn't have a scratch nor scorch mark when it died…

"She can kill her…" Yang muttered it to herself, realizing in the moment that she had said it too loudly due to her shock at puzzling it all together. Raven clearly heard, her eyes going wide and her hand falling away from the table.

It was her turn to question the impossible, "H-how do you know?"

"It's… she just…" Yang struggled, unsure of whether or not she should reveal anything to Raven. Her words were rooted with a hint of desperation, though. Yang's eyes raised back up to her mother's, "Violet can kill Grimm without destroying their bodies.." memories of the night her leader had almost died passed through her mind, of a boy near their age that had died without a single mark on his body, "She can… kill people that way, too…"

"And you've seen this?" Raven's eyes widened in surprise.

Yang nodded, "More than once."

Raven dropped her gaze to the cup in her hands, raising it with fingers that shook ever so slightly. She mumbled quietly, caught up in her own thoughts, "Is it possible… Could we rid the world of her…?" she refocused, looking at Yang closely, "How does she do it?"

"I… I've told you enough about Violet…" Yang replied uneasily, uncertain of what her mother would do with her newfound information, "And you never really answered my original question… Why didn't you save Summer?"

Raven closed her eyes, breathing deeply and letting it out with a sigh before reopening them to regard Yang with… pity? Regret? "I… might have been able to. After leaving your father, I swore that I wouldn't become another victim of Ozpin's war, wouldn't fall prey to a cause that would never see its end… So, when Summer left and ventured off into the Grimm Lands, and I felt her fear through our connection… felt her come to terms with her own death…" her eyes grew distant, voice gaining a slight rasp, "What would have been the point? I would have been offering myself up as another lamb to be slaughtered…"

"But, the way you all fought together tonight… You should have _tried_. Even if she'd already used up her 'one'. You owed it to her! To… to me."

Raven eyed her sadly, "Summer is the _reason_ I have my rule… I've always regretted not trying when I had the chance. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder... What if? I _won't_ make that mistake again. I'm already forced to live with enough guilt…"

"Good," the word popped from Yang's mouth before she could stop it, the truth of her feelings laid bare. She forged ahead, wanting to drive a point home, "You left me. Left Dad. I find it hard to believe you ever really cared about _anyone_ , but… at least there's _something_ you feel responsible for abandoning."

Yang stood, turning her face to hide the tears threatening to fall. More than anything else, bringing up Summer's death was causing her more grief than she could bear. The entire day had been an emotional rollercoaster and she… she wanted off. Yang waved her hand through the air, "Send me back…"

A portal appeared before her, red waves pooling outward from an infinitesimally small point until it had expanded to a size large enough to permit her. Yang took her first step, but paused as Raven whispered one final phrase.

"I _do_ care, Yang…"

"It'll take more than words to prove it…" Yang stepped through the portal, expecting to find herself in the presence of her father once more, maybe even Qrow. Instead, Yang found herself standing in the living room of her home, a quiet Ruby cuddling up against Violet while Blake sat slightly off to the side.

All eyes stared in her direction, likely alerted the moment the portal had opened and waiting to see what would appear. The portal closed behind Yang, and her eyes scanned the living room for her father. When she didn't see him immediately, she threw a questioning glance towards her sister, "Where's Dad?"

Ruby frowned, "He hasn't gotten back yet."

' _But then, how…?_ ' Yang turned her own frown towards where the portal had disappeared, ' _Raven can only create portals to people she's attached to…_ '

Realization hit, and she turned back around with pain-filled eyes.

Raven hadn't sent Yang back to her _father_ …

She'd sent her to Ruby…


	37. The Lonely Goddess

" _My apologies, Weiss. We'll need to reschedule for a later time. My duties require my immediate attention. I expect you'll understand._ " Winter finished typing out the message to her younger sister and hit send, immediately returning to surveying the surrounding Industrial warehouse.

A line of detained White Fang members sat off along one wall, awaiting their turns to be shipped via Manta to the airships above. The Paladins were similarly aligned, though there were a myriad of Atlas technicians currently disassembling them to remove the explosives that had been placed inside. Winter shook her head at that, angered by the deceit and vitriol that must have been spewed in order to convince the faunus to sacrifice themselves so willingly.

She was well aware of the difficulties the faunus faced. Many of her own finest were of the faunus variety, and had taken additional convincing in order to respect her commands. After the initial few, the rest had quickly fallen in line. Prejudice against another race or family name only lasted until first contact with the enemy, whether that was Grimm or otherwise. It was hard to hold unfounded grudges when you had spilled blood together, both from your enemies, and your own.

Winter's scroll buzzed and she took another moment to read Weiss's reply, a ready acceptance of the situation and promise to keep her schedule open for whatever time Winter would be available next. Winter only nodded to herself. In their mother's absence, she had taught Weiss better than to be impetuous.

"Cancelling plans with your boyfriend~?"

Winter withheld her desire to let loose a tortured sigh and turned on her heel, ready to give Qrow the respect he was due and not an iota more, "Oh? You're still here? I'd have expected you to be at the nearest bar celebrating right about now." She glanced around the room as if searching, "Did you misplace your flask somewhere?"

Qrow smirked, as he often did while intentionally trying to get a rise out of her. It was a failing of her own that he so often succeeded, "Just waiting for my niece to get dropped back off. Everything might have turned out alright this time, but Tai and I can hardly let this go to her head. We won't always be around to step in when she makes bad decisions."

"A lesson I'd have hoped any child would have learned by now," Winter agreed, throwing in a half-hearted insult towards Qrow's failed tutelage. Her eyes flickered briefly over to the other man in question however, her temper simmering back down. He stood a small distance away, close enough to overhear but not yet engaged in their conversation. "To hear it from the faunus, it almost sounds as if the two of you weren't the only trained huntsmen to take them down. Something about a woman dressed in red and black, wielding an overly large katana?"

Qrow shrugged, feigning confusion, "Doesn't ring a bell. Tai and I were more than enough to take on this scrappy lot."

Winter quirked an eyebrow, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the effort to try and wring the truth out of him, as much as she wished to, "If it does, I'm certain the General would be more than happy to hear of it." She let her gaze sweep back across the compound, a thought coming to mind, "Speaking of your niece, on the other hand…"

Qrow frowned, "What about her?"

Winter hesitated with what she wished to say, knowing that prying ears abounded within a place so numbered by faunus. ' _I shall remain… vague…_ '

"Are you certain the Headmaster's idea is on the right track? Your 'fiery young friend' was not present, and yet there were no casualties to speak of, at least not on our side. Perhaps… this is not to be a sad story after all?"

Qrow's face grew clouded, even as he sent furtive glances to their surroundings. He raised a hand to roughly scrub at the stubble on his chin, considering her words, "Maybe not… I'll have to bring it up with Oz later." Qrow brightened slightly, a glimmer of hope entering his eyes, "I'm _all_ about one sided victories".

"As am I, in this regard," Winter agreed readily, glad to know that the chances of her sister meeting an untimely demise had fallen drastically thanks to recent events.

"That'd be the best news I've heard all day," Tai spoke up, standing off to the side as he was.

Winter's eyes widened in surprise before immediately narrowing back on Qrow, her lips pursing to hiss quietly, "You told him?"

"Both of my daughters are involved. It's my right to know," Tai cut in once more, turning an eye to Winter. The warmth remained in his eyes, despite his stern features seeming to be carved from granite. He stood stoically, hands in his pockets belying the way he remained tense, as if to move into action at a moment's notice.

Winter knew the bearing of a seasoned huntsman, and gave a reassured nod in response, "Forgive me, Mr. Xiao Long. I'm unfamiliar with your standing in regards to the current predicament we have found ourselves in. I spoke out of turn."

Tai scoffed, a smile brimming to the surface to show no offense was taken, "No need for the formalities. I'm just an ex-huntsman, after all."

Qrow snorted, "A member of Team Stark, you mean. Doesn't matter how much time passes, that still counts for something."

Tai got a far off look in his eyes, speaking quietly to no one in particular, "Pity our strongest member couldn't be here for the reunion…"

Winter raised an eyebrow, "Raven?"

Qrow laughed heartily, taking the opportunity for a jab at his sister even if she wasn't present, "In her dreams, maybe~"

Winter had to admit to her own lack of knowledge when it came to her senior's past, "Who was your fourth?"

Qrow's smile remained, though his eyes showed the sadness welling up at the memories flickering through his mind, "The ever heartwarming Summer Rose. Best damn huntress there's ever been." His eyes swept across the warehouse with a smirk, "She'd have taken this place down by herself in half the time. There was a reason ol' Oz made her the leader of a bunch of misfits like us in the first place. No one else could have kept us in line when it really mattered."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

Qrow shook his head, "It was the world's loss when she died."

The conversation fell to the wayside as the next Manta arrived, the last of the White Fang members being loaded aboard while the engines roared, pilot waiting for the signal to lift off. It gave Winter some time to think on all she'd learned, and the seed of happiness that had grown in response. Once the Manta had left, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for the fallout of what she was about to say.

"Perhaps a celebration is in order-"

Winter cut off as Qrow's head darted in her direction, surprise etched across his face in deep lines that drew his skin taut. He brought up his hands to rub his eyes as if fearing he was asleep, then dug a finger into each ear as if he'd been hearing things.

"Could you… repeat that, Ice Queen? I could've sworn you suggested something outrageous just now. Pretty sure my mind is playing tricks on me, though. Couldn't have been what I thought it was."

Winter placed a fist on her hip, dangerously close to the hilt of her weapon, "Are you trying to ruin the moment?"

Qrow smiled, raising his hands warily at the same time to ward off a potential stabbing, "I'm all for it, as long as your idea of a celebration isn't some mind numbing suit and tie event. If we're having a party then we're doing it _right_."

Winter rolled her eyes, "As if I'd ever expect to see you in a _suit_. I doubt you even own one."

Qrow put a hand to his chest as if offended, "I own a suit!"

"And the last time you wore it was…?"

Qrow frowned, having to think far too hard on the answer to so simple a question. He finally answered a few moments later, slowly revealing the truth as if he regretted bringing it up in the first place, "...The first year dance at Beacon…?"

Winter sighed in vexation, "If that's your idea of formal wear then I would hardly want to be seen with you at a prestigious event in the first place."

Qrow snorted, "Harsh. Looks like you're slumming it with us, then." He turned to his teammate with a grin, "You're in, right Tai?"

"It's a school night…" Tai replied slowly.

Qrow threw his head back in disbelief, "Come on! You're not getting away with _that one_ again. Beacon years Tai would have already started bar hopping by now."

"I'm a _teacher_ , Qrow."

"So am I~" Qrow replied with a twisted grin.

"A fact that still causes me no end of confusion," Winter cut in, crossing her arms.

Qrow's reply was lost on Winter as one of her soldiers came running up, drawing her attention away from the older man's scathing remark.

"All explosives are removed and the Paladins are ready for retrieval, Ma'am," he placed a fist to his chest, bowing slightly as he gave his progress report.

Winter's eyes raised to the Paladins, visibly paling, even for her, at the sheer amount of Dust explosives that had been pulled from within the large mechs. ' _Each of them could have leveled a city block on its own…_ '

Winter recovered long enough to nod her understanding, "Have each thoroughly checked again before they're transported to the airships. I don't want to take any chances at bringing explosives aboard our ships."

The soldier glanced back for a moment at the enormous pile, "What should we do with the explosives we extracted?"

Winter shrugged, "Load them onto a Manta, find a Beowolf pack or two, dump them out, and enjoy the fireworks. I don't want them anywhere near the rest of our fleet."

The soldier grinned, "Yes, Ma'am!" He ran off to begin shouting orders and spreading the good news. Cheers followed, and the men worked double time in order to get necessities out of the way.

Winter turned back to find Qrow standing with his mouth ajar, gaping like a fool at the exchange he had just heard. "What?" Winter smirked, "As I said. We're due a celebration."

' _All the better if we kill a few Grimm in the process._ '

* * *

Violet was the first to understand the somber expression that Yang leveled at Ruby, the question of Tai's absence bringing into light how exactly Raven had managed to transport Yang there. ' _So… maybe she isn't all bad…_ ' Violet gave Ruby a final squeeze around the shoulders and sent her off to Yang, the two embracing quietly while Yang struggled to hold back her tears.

Blake and Violet remained on the couch, silently watching as the two helped to comfort each other. After a minute, they finally broke away, and the two on the couch stood to offer the blond some comfort as well.

"I'm assuming you went and did something dumb to get your mother's attention?" Violet asked with a raised eyebrow, the tone of her voice betraying what she thought of such a foolish act, "Where did you even go?"

Yang shrugged weakly, Blake's equally disapproving frown causing her usual defiant attitude to deflate, "To the White Fang hideout that Qrow messaged us about…"

Violet closed her eyes and shook her head while Blake let out a frustrated, " _Yang!_ "

Yang held her hands up, "Look, I know it was dangerous, alright? That was kind of the point. It needed to be, or else she never would have shown up."

"There were other ways, Yang," Violet argued. She sighed, releasing some of the tension hanging in the air, "I guess it worked out in the end. How'd it go at the hideout?"

An excited light returned to Yang's eyes as she told them of how the three older hunters had fought. Ruby was the most surprised when their father was brought into the picture, gasping when Yang told them how he'd managed to hold his own alongside Qrow and Raven. Violet was more interested in the details of how seamlessly they'd worked together, and paid close attention to anything that might have given away that Raven was a maiden. Unfortunately, it appeared as if she was more than capable enough without the powers she'd stolen, and hadn't been forced to use them in the fight.

Yang sent a worried glance in Violet's direction, "She knows you're a maiden, by the way. That and…" she rubbed her arm nervously, eyeing each of her teammate's in turn, "Raven told me that the Grimm are controlled by a… thing?... a woman?... named Salem…"

"Ummm… what?" Blake managed to speak first while Violet was busy pondering how best to handle the situation. Raven revealing the truth didn't exactly come as a surprise, but was now a good time for them to believe it?

' _Better late than never, I suppose…_ '

"How could a person control the Grimm?" Ruby asked incredulously, looking to Violet for back up, "They would just _eat_ you."

Violet put a hand to her chin, trying to appear deep in thought, "Why would she lie about something that unbelievable?" her eyes went to Yang's, next question directed more to the blond, "Did it seem like _Raven_ believed it?"

"It could have just been an excuse for the things she's done… On the other hand, it's a bit too ridiculous to _be_ a lie, don't you think?"

"I'd have to agree," Violet gave a firm nod, "And I wouldn't be surprised if there were more things like that being kept from us. We wouldn't even _know_ about the maidens if I wasn't one."

"But… why wouldn't they have done something about her yet?" Blake interjected worriedly, looking between the two of them.

"Raven said…" Yang's expression mirrored how ridiculous she herself thought the explanation was, "...that Salem is immortal."

"That's ridiculous!" Blake argued, "We would have _heard_ about someone like that!"

"Not necessarily," Violet muttered quietly. She brought her eyes back up to Blake's, seeing the refusal to believe in the faunus girl's eyes, "We'll bring it up with Oz and Ironwood later today. Ironwood wants to see my maiden powers in action, whatever that entails. While we've got them there, we'll press them for answers."

"Do you really think they've been hiding something like that from us? From everyone?" Ruby chipped in uncertainly, looking to the older girls for confirmation.

They glanced amongst each other, none of them really being able to say for certain. Violet played off her supposed ignorance as well as she could, knowing there was no reason for her to know about anything beyond the maidens' existence.

An uncomfortable silence fell among them, and Violet decided it would be best to take the initiative as leader. Her eyes went to the door, and she nodded to it with her chin, "Are we ready to head out? We won't know for sure until we ask, and Blake and I still need to see Tukson and team Coffee off before they head to Menagerie."

Blake's ears perked and she checked the time on her scroll, letting out a frustrated sigh as if chastising herself, "Right! I almost forgot! We'd better hurry if we want to catch them before they leave…"

Violet rolled her shoulders, preparing herself to endure the distance they would need to cover. Already standing so close to the rest of her team, she allowed her semblance to affect each of them at once, stripping them of their mass, "Let's get going then, Vibrant."

It took the four of them over a dozen minutes to arrive at the docks, giving Violet a chance to catch her breath after using her semblance for all of them over such a long distance. She dropped it completely, letting them all return to their normal masses while they waited for the ferry to arrive.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken by Yang as she uttered a forlorn "Shit…", attempting to remain under her breath but failing utterly.

Violet raised an eyebrow, "Shit, what?"

Yang sighed loudly, slumping in place, "I left Bumblebee at the warehouse…"

"Your motorcycle? Can't your dad just drive it home?"

Yang grimaced, "I doubt it's roadworthy after the stunt I pulled."

Ruby laughed, "What'd you do, drive it into someone?" Her laughter fell short at Yang's serious expression, "Oh my god, _Yang!_ "

Yang raised her hands in a 'what can you do' gesture, "It was hectic, alright? Plus there were a ton of them in there. I had to act fast!"

Ruby lowered her voice into a mutter that could still be heard by each of them there, "Dad is gonna be so mad at you…"

Violet raised a hand to lay it comfortingly on Yang's shoulder, "It's alright. I'll cover the funeral costs."

Yang narrowed her eyes, "Mine, or Bumblebee's?"

Violet grinned devilishly, "Both?"

"Any chance your maiden powers come with a side of resurrection? I don't think I'm quite ready to go, yet."

Violet shook her head dejectedly, "No such luck. I can help your father with funeral costs by cremating you myself, though." She quirked an eyebrow, letting a finger light up in a flaming dance of brilliant amethyst. Thankfully, they were far from prying eyes. "Interested?"

Yang raised her hands, backing away a few steps while faking a nervous laugh, "Save that for this Salem lady, whatever she is. I bet she's begging for death by now if she's lived that long."

"Pfft, she's still too young for _that_ ," Violet replied with a laugh, letting the flames on her finger extinguish.

A smile curled Blake's lips, and she shot Violet a look, eyebrow raised, "A few million more, you think?"

Violet shrugged, "Yeah, that would just about do it~"

"Are you guys talking about the book?" Ruby piped up, seeming on the verge of covering her ears, "No spoilers!"

Blake rolled her eyes, "It's not exactly a _spoiler_ , Ruby. It's Violet's running theory as to what would happen if you actually lived that long. It's why the Goddess does all that in the first place."

Ruby lowered her hands, "Oh, no spoilers, then? I just got to the part where Seren-"

Violet's head swam, a sudden migraine exploding behind her eyes that made the world become unfocused and sound warble as if she was underwater. After a few moments, the effect ended and her vision cleared, quickly enough to avoid notice by her teammates nearby. Slowly, noise evened out and she could once again follow the conversation taking place.

"-ounds like you're nearly at the end then," Blake congratulated Ruby with a smile. "You'll have to tell Violet and I what you really thought of it once you're done. I'm sure she'd love to hear it~ We both would."

Violet let her hand fall from where it had been twitching at her side, aching in its desire to massage her temple after the brief headache. She nodded her agreement, catching the last bit that Blake had said, "Yeah, Little Red. Honest to God truth and nothing less~"

Ruby smiled meekly, "It might take me a little while. I've been getting Penny caught up on it as well so we can finish reading it together." She frowned, a far off look in her eye, "I don't think she's read many books…"

"What makes you say that?" Yang chipped in curiously.

Ruby shrugged, "She was just so excited. It reminded me of back when you used to read stories to me."

Yang snorted, "Oh no, a Ruby 2.0? Please tell me she doesn't also hide cookies in her pillow case."

Ruby narrowed her eyes, cheeks glowing in embarrassment, "Yaaaang! I haven't done that in forever!"

Violet smirked, "I have found the occasional crumb in my hair after waking up. Almost as if they were falling from _somewhere_ above me…"

"Traitor!" Ruby gasped. "See if I bring any extras for you again!"

"You've never brought me cookies in our dorm, Ruby."

"It's the thought that counts!"

They all shared in a laugh as the ferry arrived, its horn loudly blaring and cutting off conversation for a few seconds. Blake in particular brought her hands up to cover her extra ears, wincing at the deep bellow that echoed across the bay. Yang frowned in concern while Violet turned her attention inward.

' _A few times can be ignored, but now…?_ ' She could still feel the gap in her omniscience, the impenetrable barrier that begged to be cracked open, heedless of her own warnings. ' _Did I somehow add something to the book that should have been locked away?_ ' Violet had let her omnipotence do the heavy lifting, relying on it to make a thrilling story summarizing her many lives up until that point.

' _Every time they mention… S-_ ' Violet's head swam once more, and she immediately gave up on trying to recall the bits and pieces of the name they had used. 'That _happens…_ '

It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Maybe I'll take a crack at it once you're done with it, Rubes."

"No," Violet blurted out the word before she could think.

The three other members of her team paused in surprise, ranging from confusion, to shock, and a small bit of hurt in Yang's eyes.

Violet regained her composure, raising a hand to rub it against the back of her neck while sparing the blond an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't know if it's really your speed, Yang."

Yang let out a tentative laugh, "Can't be worse than the book Blake's got me reading now. _Knitting_ , can you believe it?"

Violet smirked, "Did you offer to keep a ball of yarn on hand instead?"

"You know me so well~"

Violet laughed, hiding her own misgivings. She couldn't think of any other reason to deny Yang's desires. ' _The less people that read it, the better. I don't need to be zoning out all the time due to sudden and inexplicable migraines because of a silly_ name…'

Violet let her laugh die out and rubbed a hand against her forearm, allowing some of her discomfort to show. She caught Yang's attention again, then waited for the others to notice as well, "You can be the last one. I don't really want to share it with too many people…"

"It's written really well though, Violet. You shouldn't doubt yourself too much…" Blake spoke comfortingly. When she saw Ruby and Yang's confused glances, and Violet's apparent unwillingness to reveal the truth, Blake smiled dotingly, "Violet is the one that wrote it, Ruby. I don't think she wants to draw a lot of attention to it."

Ruby's eyes widened, staring at Violet with newfound awe clearly visible due to the way her jaw had dropped, " _You_ wrote it!? But it's so good!"

Violet smirked, "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Ruby."

Ruby's cheeks grew to a deep crimson while she shook her head frantically, "No, I just mean-... well…" the small reaper struggled to put her words together while Violet stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "G-Good job!" She breathed a sigh of relief, looking as if avoiding insulting Violet had been tantamount to running a marathon. "It's really good so far!"

"Now I _definitely_ want to read it," Yang chipped in.

' _I guess I'll have to make due…_ '

Violet sighed, "Alright. But _just_ you three." At a guilty look from Ruby, she amended her statement, "You three _and_ Penny. That's _it_. I'm not ready for a wider audience."

Yang raised a hand to her temple in a half-assed salute, "Aye aye, Captain! I'll treasure it more than my favorite hairbrush once it's in my hands."

"See that you do," Violet smiled lightly, knowing that Yang _would_ do her best to keep it away from prying eyes. "My life is on the line, here."

Blake scoffed, "Well now you're just being dramatic."

Violet's smile grew, "Would you expect anything less from a budding author?"

' _As long as it doesn't fall into someone's hands that knows about the real 'Goddess', then I should be in the clear…_ '

* * *

"Penny, would you mind giving us a status report?" James asked from off to Ozpin's left side, standing rigid despite the presence of a chair only a few feet away from him. Ozpin would have sighed at that fact in years prior. Now, he was used to the man's boundless stoicism.

The odd girl, Penny, sat across from them, patting down her skirt repeatedly as if trying to work out every single wrinkle in the cloth itself. Upon being spoken to directly, she stopped in the middle of her motions and raised her eyes dutifully to the two elders across from her.

"Of course, Sir!" Penny saluted with a grin, "Things are going well with Violet as my charge. She has agreed to allow me to stay by her side at all times, and I believe we are even close to becoming friends!"

"That's good to hear, Penny," James stated plainly, though Ozpin had known him long enough to notice the smaller glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "And the rest of team Vibrant and Siren?"

"Oh, they've been most welcoming!" Penny positively beamed, clasping her hands together while a nearly unnatural light flashed behind her eyes. "We went to the movies!"

' _And during that time, Miss Regalia slipped away to be met by one of our enemies,_ ' Ozpin mused, though he hardly held it against the girl to not have been watchful at the time. From what James had said, she was only a couple of years old after all.

It seemed that James didn't quite share the same level of compassion, "And while you were watching the movie, where was Violet?"

Penny's excitement was cut cleanly, as if a knife had done the gruesome task with unparalleled efficiency. She quelled in her chair, hands falling to clasp between her knees as her eyes fell to the floor, "Violet was out of my sight…"

"And now?"

Penny slumped further, "S-She said that I couldn't come with them today. But," she raised up slightly, some small sliver of her courage returning in the face of her direct superior's ire, "Violet's whole team is with her, and they went to go see Qrow! He's an accomplished Huntsman, isn't he? She should be safe!"

"Indeed he is," Ozpin cut James off before he could berate the girl any further. The other man turned to level an unamused eye on Ozpin, but was cut off again by the buzz of his scroll before he could speak.

"Yes?" James spoke, clearly reigning in his frustration.

" _The Mantas are loaded and ready to head out, Sir. They're merely awaiting your final approval._ "

"Thank you, Winter," James replied smoothly. "I'll be there shortly." He closed his scroll with a click and returned it to his pocket, eyeing both Ozpin and Penny for a moment, "If you wouldn't mind finishing up here, Oz?"

Ozpin smiled, gesturing with his hand towards the elevator, "By all means, James. I'm sure my years of experience will allow me to handle this _child_ easily enough."

James nodded, some of the previous tension deflating as he accepted Ozpin's mild chastising tone, "I'll return in time to test the Maiden." He stepped towards the elevator, but hesitated for a moment next to the young girl. James raised a hand and laid it gently on her shoulder, "You did well, Penny. I'm proud of you."

Penny's eyes raised, some of her earlier excitement returning as James nodded and made his leave. Ozpin waited until the elevator doors had closed behind him before leveling a bemused smile in Penny's direction.

"So, Miss Polendina. What else have you been doing in your time with my students? Anything fun?"

Penny's eyes brightened once more, and she bounced momentarily in her chair before replying, "Oh yes! We've played board games, and listened to music, and Ruby's been reading this really great book to me!"

"Oh?" Ozpin was glad to see how quickly she had recovered, and decided to indulge the child further, "Is it something I might consider reading myself?"

" _Definitely_. It's about a Goddess that creates a bunch of worlds to have fun in, but she keeps running into trouble while trying to keep her friends safe and has to make a whole bunch of tough decisions in the process! It's really heartwarming!"

Ozpin's breath caught, his mind jumbling into a mess of sparking circuits and crossed wires. His eyes darted about as if searching his own head space for the words required to continue the conversation at hand. For a few seconds, he came up blank. Finally, after what seemed a torturous amount of time, he managed to let out a strangled, "You… you don't say…?"

"Yup! Sounds good, doesn't it!? Ruby and I are almost done with it already!"

Ozpin coughed into his hand, trying to clear his mind as much as possible, "By chance… When you get the opportunity... could you _bring me_ that book, Miss Polendina? I, uh… would _love_ to borrow it as well."

Penny nodded happily, "Sure! I'll just ask Violet and-"

"A-Actually, perhaps we could keep this just between the two of us? Consider it… our little secret," Ozpin could feel a nervous sweat building on his forehead and along the hem of his coat, but refused to acknowledge it if only to avoid drawing attention.

Penny frowned, bringing a finger up to her chin in thought, "Is that an order?"

"Y-Yes, Penny. That's an order. Don't take it until you and Miss Rose have finished it. I don't want its disappearance to be too apparent. But… the sooner the better."

Penny thought on it for only a few more moments before giving a sharp nod, "Of course, Headmaster! General Ironwood has made it clear that I should follow your orders just like his. Consider it done!"

Ozpin breathed out a quiet sigh of relief, hiding it behind his mug in two shaking hands. ' _Could it be the source of Violet's unnatural knowledge? A gift given to her by the Goddess herself? Or maybe…_ ' He stewed over the possibilities, a dark cloud passing over his mind due to the thoughts that refused to leave him. 'I _s she…? No… she couldn't be…_ '

And yet...

"Remember, Penny. The _earliest_ opportunity…"


	38. Double Trouble

Violet arrived back at Beacon in time to see the cruise ship she had hired, docked slightly off to the side from the regular ships that the school utilized for transport. Compared to their silver and green, it stood out as a shock of white with wooden trim, far longer and sleek in design. It was built for speed, capable of outrunning the fastest Nevermore, and more than worthy of getting both team Coffee and Tukson to Menagerie safely.

A few crew members were in the midst of general care, inspecting the ship's hull and instruments with a fine toothed comb. Team Coffee themselves waited nearby, Tukson in tow between all of them. Violet waved her hand as she and her team approached, grabbing their upperclassmen's attention. Coco waved back, gesturing for them to head on over.

"Came to see us off this time, eh?" the girl smirked, lowering her sunglasses to look Violet up and down. "I'm surprised you had the lien to pay for all this, let alone _twice_."

"It's nothing, really," Violet assured her. "Just doing what I can." Her eyes went past the smug leader to Tukson, the man appearing less than casual after the previous attempt on his life. His eyes flickered across the nearby attendants, inspecting them to try and find any four foot tall female hiding in their midsts.

"There's nothing to worry about, Tukson. Neo and Roman have both agreed to help us in exchange for their own immunity. You shouldn't run into any trouble this time around, I promise you that."

Tukson seemed to relax slightly, his eyes still roaming across the tarmac, if much less fervently. "I'll believe it when we're in the air."

Coco laughed and elbowed him in the side, causing the large man to stagger sideways in surprise, "Don't fret too much. That little brat only got past us before because of her semblance. Vel isn't going to leave your side during the entire trip this time around. Ain't that right?"

Velvet smiled in agreement, helping Tukson to right himself after Coco's brash behavior. She grabbed the larger faunus around the elbow and held tight, not letting go while her eyes similarly roamed around the tarmac. Her ears twitched as well, fully upright and listening intently, "We'll keep you safe, Sir. You have my word on that."

"Need to keep me safe from your _leader_ , too…" Tukson muttered quietly, rubbing a hand across his chest where Coco had elbowed him.

"You'll be _fine_ ," Violet laughed lightly, glad that Coffee was taking their jobs seriously. She knew she'd be able to trust them to safeguard the White Fang defector, especially now that they had something to prove. "Once you've met up with Ghira, the two of you can plan ahead and visit Sienna Khan. She's in Mistral somewhere, right?"

Tukson nodded, but seemed unwilling to divulge anything further. Violet understood well enough. The place was supposed to be their secret base of operations. It wouldn't be beneficial to their cause if the White Fang leader found out he'd given up such vital information. ' _On second thought… I hope they treat the human members of team Coffee well, despite what they are. Having a cinnamon roll like Velvet around should help to assuage their fears, but she won't dispel them entirely._ '

"Good luck with my father," Blake spoke up from the side, catching Tukson's attention with a polite smile. "He can be stubborn at times. It's usually best if you let my mother mediate, otherwise he'll never back down."

Tukson nodded, "I've heard much about the Chieftain… I'll keep that in mind."

Blake scoffed, ears lowering against her head, "I know what they say about him. The current members of the White Fang think he was a coward who refused to get his hands dirty… Treat him with the respect he deserves or you'll find out soon enough how wrong those claims truly are."

Tukson paled slightly, "Y-Yes, of course."

Violet flashed Blake a smirk while Tukson was busy pulling on the neckline of his shirt. The cat faunus grinned slightly in return, both of them knowing how kind her father could really be. ' _But, sending Tukson in with the proper mindset is important. Better to stamp out any dissension now._ '

"They appear to be ready for us," Yatsuhashi announced. He was staring past to the attendants that had begun filing onboard, carrying the last of the luggage that Coffee had brought along for the trip.

Coco spotted one of them being less than gentle with one of her packages and visibly reddened, eyebrows scrunching in anger while she rushed off, "Hey! Careful with that! Do you know how much Dust is in there!? We'll be replacing this ship all over again if you handle it like that!"

Violet laughed while the rest of the elder team could only shake their heads, far more familiar with their leader's usual antics. The rest of team Coffee began to follow after with Tukson in tow.

"Good luck!" Yang cheered, holding up her fist in a clear invitation for Yatsuhashi to bump it in passing. The older boy was slow to comply, his face showing none of Yang's excitement.

Yang left her fist up for Fox as he passed, and the redhead surprised her by giving it a hearty smack. " _Who needs luck when you have a Velvet~?_ " the boy's voice rang clear in their minds despite his face remaining affixed in a wide grin.

Yang took it in stride, her own smile widening at the exchange, "Damn straight. Anyone crosses your path, give 'em hell!"

Fox gave a mock salute and passed them by, on the heels of his teammates as they strode up the ramp and into the awaiting ship. The ramp began to retract once they were aboard, engines powering up and bay door beginning to close, slowly cutting team Coffee off from view. Violet and the others waved their goodbyes, silently hoping for their success.

The ship rose up into the sky, engines flaring from a dull red to a brilliant blue as the fire dust heated exponentially. The jets tilted back as it did so, finally propelling it forward instead of simply up. Within the next minute it was a mere dot on the skyline, vanishing over the luscious green and blue horizon into the greater beyond.

Yang let out a low whistle of appreciation, "Think I could strap something like that to Bumblebee?"

Violet snorted, "If you wanted to end up as a red smear against the nearest building, sure."

"Gotta live life a quarter mile at a time~"

"Did you get that from one of your Spruce Willis movies?" Violet asked, turning to lead them back to their dorm.

"Tin Diesel, actually."

Violet shook her head with a smirk, "What is it with you and bald men?"

Yang scoffed, "What is it with so many bald men being action heroes?"

"Well, when that fits the typical viewer you're trying to pander to…" Blake mumbled. She held the door open for them as they all stepped inside, headed along the hall towards the stairs.

Violet laughed, "Ah, yes~ Yang must be a bald man at heart. The near religious love of her own hair is just an act~"

Yang grabbed her own hair in both hands, pulling it over her shoulder as if to protect it and glaring fiercely at both of them in turn, "At least I don't read smut in the _dorm_."

Blake balked, raising her hands to wave them in a frantic bid for silence, "W-What am I saying? Your choice in movies is great, Yang! Perfect, even! Did you want to go see another one soon!?"

"Eh, I'd rather read the smut~" Violet teased.

A few moments passed before another voice spoke up behind them, trailing along quietly during the earlier conversation.

"What's smut?" Ruby asked innocently, causing the other three girls to freeze in place and slowly turn around to regard their youngest teammate.

Violet saw Yang's eyes flickering crimson and decided to get ahead of the fireworks, pointing a finger accusingly at the blond, "H-Hey, you brought it up in the first place! It's your own fault!"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with, Ruby!" Blake chipped in nervously, sparing an eye for the blond who's hair was currently threatening to ignite. "You'll find out when you're older!"

Ruby made a small 'hmm' sound, looking out the windows and pondering in thought with a finger raised to tap against her chin, "Maybe I'll just look it up if no one will tell me. Is it spelled like it sounds? I wonder if the school has any… I bet the librarian could point some out for me!"

Blake cringed fearfully, ears laying flat against her head and body wincing away from the inevitable eruption.

Violet narrowed her eyes, thoughts on a conversation from weeks prior coming to mind. ' _Ruby said she wasn't as innocent as she pretended to be…_ ' Seeing the slight upward twinge of the smaller girl's lips and realizing the truth, Violet couldn't help herself. Even with the fiery warhead standing next to her, waiting to explode... Violet burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, Little Red~ Auntie Vi will be sure to buy you all the smut you could ask for. You are a growing girl, after all~"

"Vi! _No!_ " Blake cried aloud in the same instance that Yang's fist blasted her across the hall and into the wall behind her. Violet landed on the ground with a huff, struggling to laugh when the air had been knocked from her lungs. Her aura had absorbed the blow easily enough. Yang's punch lacked the usual strength it would have had in a spar.

"You wanna run that by me again?" Yang growled, tilting her head to the side and cracking her knuckles ominously while staring down on her prey with crimson eyes. She started to pace forward, but paused at the soft sounds coming from behind her.

The tension fled as Ruby started to giggle outright, doubling over with one hand to her mouth and the other to her stomach, "Y-You really should have known better, Violet~ That was the bravest thing I've ever seen, though!"

Violet finally managed to catch her breath, letting out a few strangled chuckles of her own, "I couldn't pass up an opportunity like that~"

Blake let out a sigh of relief as Yang's hair returned to its usual state, eyes receding to lilac, "You're both the worst, you know that?"

"I think you've been spending a bit too much time around our dear leader, Rubes," Yang shook her head, turning back to regard her sister with a sorrowful expression. "Where did we go wrong?"

Ruby smiled, "I was doomed from the start."

Violet finally stood, dusting herself off, "Your fate was sealed as soon as you ran into me in the forest. You'd still be repressed if you'd ended up with _Weiss_ as your partner."

Ruby blanched, "Me and Weiss!? That never would have worked out!"

"You'd be surprised~" Violet smirked, walking over to drape an arm around Yang's shoulders and herd them all towards the stairs. "You knew this day was bound to come eventually, right? Your dear little Rubes is growing up. Soon enough, she'll have a Blakey of her own to chase after~"

Yang's face was a mixture of bright cheeks and a darkening scowl, eyes piercing into the steps ahead of them as if they were personally responsible for her sister growing up, "If I see any boys hanging around her… They'd better watch their step and keep their hands to themselves…"

' _Yeah, somehow I don't think those cards are on the table~_ ' Violet smirked, seeing the person that stood waiting for them at the top of the steps.

Penny brushed past the older girls as they reached the top, giddily crashing into Ruby and gripping the other girl in a fierce hug, "Ruby! I'm so glad you're back! Nothing happened to you while I was away, right!? I was so worried!"

Ruby gasped for breath, arms scrunched against her sides and incapable of escaping from Penny's clutches, "Uh, n-nope! Just your basic, everyday, team Vibrant stuff!"

Violet had to use her semblance as Yang's legs gave way, all strength fleeing her body at the spectacle happening right in front of them. Violet leaned in close with a smug smile, whispering quietly so that only the blond would hear, "Look at it this way. At least she isn't a boy, right?"

"I'm gonna be sick…"

Violet laughed and dragged Yang back to her feet, stepping to the side as Penny excitedly darted ahead with Ruby in tow, "Let's finish that book! We're almost done!"

Yang groaned out loud.

Violet rolled her eyes, hefting the blond up to begin walking again, "I'll be honest, I'm pretty sure all the things you're worried about are the _last_ things on their minds."

Yang sighed, "I hope so. I wouldn't want to beat up your bodyguard. She is… _nice_."

"Filled with wide eyed innocence, you mean?" Violet chided playfully. "Just don't let her get a hold of any of Blake's books~"

Blake huffed at that, crossing her arms and leveling the pair with a scowl, "They aren't _smut_. They're adult literature. There's a difference."

"Porn with a plot, then~"

Blake could only silently glare in response, refusing to be egged on any further. Violet grinned as they finally made their way into the dorm room, thoughts shifting to the demonstration she would need to make later in the day.

' _Hopefully I'll get through it without too much trouble._ '

* * *

Ironwood hit replay on his scroll, once more rewatching clips of the maiden's training bouts, both in the Emerald Forest, and the school arena. He had to admit, she was far more skilled than even he would have expected; her weapon far more advanced. He had taken the time to track down the scientist responsible for helping in its development, an ex-member of Atlas's own Tech Division.

The man had admitted that the original idea for Violet's 'railgun' had been the girl's own, stumping even him at times due to its intricacies. That aligned at least with what Oz had told him, that the technology involved was so unique that even the girl herself had been confused by its creation. Upon further questioning, nothing else had stood out as odd about the process. Violet had spent a similar amount of time as any other trainee in regards to aura control and manipulation, taking just as long to understand how to transform the weapon with aura alone.

Regardless, it appeared that sparring against the maiden would be no easy feat, even without taking her other powers into account. If he wanted to force her to the edge, to find her breaking point… it was going to take more than only him. As strong and seasoned as he was… even he wasn't foolish enough to believe himself untouchable by someone so much younger.

With a few simple clicks, Ironwood brought up Winter's contact number on his display and hit call, connecting instantly with his dutiful subordinate. "Winter, meet me at the Beacon docks. I'll be requiring your assistance in testing our newest initiate. How soon can you be here?"

"I'll leave right away, Sir. Ten minutes, at most."

"Good. I'll be expecting you. Come prepared to give your all. I doubt we'll be able to hold back on this one," Ironwood warned, ending the call, then dialing another number once more.

"James? How did everything go at the warehouse?" Oz asked curiously upon accepting the call, swishing his cup of coffee.

"Well enough. There were only a few casualties on the part of the White Fang. An unfortunate mishap, due to a falling Paladin. Qrow and his associates remained unscathed aside from slight damage to their auras," Ironwood decided to take the conversation away from what had already taken care of. "I'll be arriving at Beacon shortly. Winter will be joining me in testing Violet."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, "You believe it necessary?"

He laughed, "I'm getting old, Oz. Not as old as you, by far, but old enough to know I'm no longer in my prime. Beyond simple testing… I also wanted to bring her to her limit. I won't truly know what she's made of until she's reached that point."

Ozpin nodded his agreement, "That's fine by me. If you don't mind, I believe I'll attend as well rather than simply watching over the cameras. It's not every day you get to see the great Ironwood going toe to toe with someone like her."

"By all means. I'll contact you when we're ready."

"I look forward to it," Ozpin smiled lightly, ending the call on his end.

Ironwood returned to once again repeating the video on his scroll, watching as Violet unleashed a tidal wave of amethyst flames. All of the Grimm fell to the ground in its wake, not burned, but entirely devoid of life. ' _A terrifying power, to be sure._ '

The only thing that calmed his heart was the fact that Qrow remained untouched right next to her, a survivor of the flames with nary a scorch mark on him either. As he paused the video on the two beginning their friendly banter, a smile plain for all eyes to see on the young girl's face, Ironwood had to wonder…

' _Will she have the courage to do what needs to be done?_ '

She had killed two already in self defense, but neither of them held a candle to the raw, ancient power that Salem possessed. Now was the best time to truly put her to the test.

Ironwood rolled his shoulders and flexed both hands over the grips of the pistols at his waist, hardening his resolve as if going into a battle with far higher stakes than a simple spar.

Whatever happened, he didn't plan on taking it easy against her.

* * *

" _Team Vibrant and team Siren, report to the training arena immediately,_ " Glynda's voice boomed over the intercom, interrupting the small gathering of girls in their dorm. Violet's eyes raised from the greatsword in her lap, pommel in one hand, cleaning rag in the other.

Yang met her gaze, a worried frown creasing her features while the game she'd been playing with Blake was forgotten in the background. Violet's attempt at a comforting smirk was hindered by two pairs of legs swinging into view from above, Ruby and Penny dropping off the top bunk to land on the floor in front of her.

Ruby cheered loudly, pumping a fist into the air, "Finally! We get to see how much Violet's training has paid off!"

"You're in for a treat, then," Violet grinned smugly, depositing the rag on her bedside table and standing with Zenith in hand. "If you thought flames and a bit of ice were impressive…~"

Penny clapped her hands together once, flashing a pure smile with wide green eyes, "It will be good to know what you're capable of!"

"What do you think they'll have you do?" Blake spoke up, rising to her feet along with Yang while the blond shut off the console.

Violet shrugged, "Beats me. Oz should have all the recordings from my times with Qrow saved, so… maybe he's hoping for a more personal demonstration?"

"Whatever it is, I hope you're ready," Yang spoke up, eyeing Violet in her combat outfit as the leader attached her weapon to her back.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Violet stated plainly, taking a moment to stretch before heading towards the door. "Best not keep him waiting."

There was a brief flurry as the other girl's made sure they were ready as well and followed Violet out, meeting Siren in the hall between their two dorms. Nora grinned widely and slapped Violet on the back, earning a huff of air from her lungs for her efforts.

"You've got this, Vi!"

Violet waited for the sting on her back to fade away before sparing the ginger a grin of her own, "This _is_ my chance to show you all I'm not made of glass, after all. Prepare yourselves for a show~"

"I'll be glad to see it for myself," Pyrrha interjected kindly, a fierce light behind her eyes that she hid from the others. Violet understood well enough. Pyrrha was finally going to witness how much Violet herself had been holding back, the perfect opportunity to compare without revealing her own semblance in full.

Violet smirked, "Any chance you'd want to step in for the second round?"

Pyrrha shook her head smugly, "Of course not. This is _your_ time to shine, Violet~" She laughed lightly, hiding it from the others behind her hand as they spoke loudly to each other nearby.

Violet sighed, setting off for the arena with a spring in her step. She hadn't been kidding as much when it came to proving herself in front of her friends. Part of her was glad they would finally understand that her constant worrying over their safety as opposed to her own was completely warranted. Violet could take care of herself.

Weiss walked next to her, the pair of them leading the large group of stragglers in their wake. The young heiress spent her time in silent contemplation, one hand to her chin and eyes focused more on the floor than their surroundings. They had walked these same halls often enough that Violet wasn't surprised, though Weiss's demeanor did have her curious.

"What's up, Weiss?"

Weiss spared an eye sideways to her, taking a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm just a little worried about my sister. She was called away on unexpected business earlier… I'm hoping it was nothing too serious."

"Oh, ha… ha…" Violet scrubbed a hand through the hair on the back of her head, shooting the girl an apologetic smile in return for her curious frown, "That may have been our fault. Yang got a bit riled up when we went to go see her dad… You remember why, right?" At a nod from Weiss, she continued, "Well, turns out her mother has a rule about saving the people she's close to at least once. Yang was understandably upset and… might have decided to put that rule to the test."

Weiss's eyes widened, taking a moment to dart back towards Yang and inspect her for any injuries before rounding on Violet once again, "What did you _do?_ "

Violet raised her hands defensively, "It wasn't me this time, I swear! Yang left on her own to take down the White Fang hideout that Qrow and your sister found. Winter probably had to go collect the Paladins afterwards once the fight was over."

"Of all the irresponsible-" Weiss began, seeming as if she fully intended to turn around and berate the blond. Violet put a hand on her shoulder and steered her forward, cutting off the turn about she'd been attempting.

"Hold on, Weiss! Nothing bad happened, and Blake and I already told her how stupid of an idea it was in the first place! No harm done this time."

" _This_ time," Weiss replied with a glower, crossing her arms with a huff but accepting Violet's attempts at keeping her moving. "The _next_ time she might not be so lucky."

"I'll make sure she gets the memo," Violet promised, allowing her hand to fall away once it seemed Weiss's anger had been assuaged. "I'm sorry you didn't get to talk with Winter."

Weiss sighed weakly, "It's fine. It's not as if this is the first time she's ever had to drop plans due to her position. I was hoping to ask her a few questions about summoning… It's been causing me more trouble than anything up until this point."

"Ah, I see. Were you hoping to get more practice before our big mission? It likely won't be for another couple weeks at the very least," Violet assured her. "Your team still needs to practice your team attacks anyway. Any luck there?"

"Some," Weiss replied truthfully. "Pyrrha has managed to get down her parts faster than anyone else. There's a lot to go over though, since my semblance is so versatile. A lot of our tactics hinge around me providing assistance where necessary."

Violet nodded, "Make sure you don't put too much weight on your own shoulders. Trust the others to have team attacks of their own. If you go down, then it's all they'll have to fall back on."

Weiss scoffed, "Rich, coming from you. The girl that literally puts everyone else's weight on her own."

"True, but I still make sure they can fight well enough without me, should the unthinkable happen. I trust Ruby to pick up the pieces if I fall."

"Ruby?" Weiss quirked an eyebrow, glancing back at the cheery little redhead. "She… wouldn't have been my first choice."

Violet waved away her concerns, "Ruby would make a great leader. If I hadn't taken charge in the Emerald Forest then she would have."

"If you say so," Weiss replied simply, not sounding the least bit convinced. Violet could only smirk in reply, knowing that in this timeline at least, Weiss would never truly know how wrong she was.

Their journey to the training arena finally came to a close, Violet stepping into the classroom first, quickly followed by the rest of both teams. Ironwood and Winter already stood off to one side, both armed with weapons on their hips. Glynda and Ozpin were also present, seated a small ways off to the side, but close enough to have been conversing casually with the Atlesians before the students' arrival.

"Ah, welcome, everyone," Ironwood greeted them, giving the smallest of smiles that barely managed to twinge the corner of his lips. At a glance, Violet could tell that both he and Winter meant business, the two of them looking on with grim determination.

"So, how are we doing this?" Violet asked, heading down the steps while the others took seats near the front rows. Her eyes roamed across the pair, General and Specialist alike sizing her up in return, "Me against the both of you?"

Violet honestly didn't like her chances. The most she'd seen of Ironwood's fighting style was the brief exchange against the beowolf, while she could recall some of what Winter was capable of. The two of them, fighting in tandem with years of experience under their belts…? It was a recipe for disaster, all things considered.

"That is indeed the plan," Winter replied sternly, eyes roaming over Violet while she stood in a much more relaxed pose compared to the two of them. "I hope you won't overestimate yourself because of previous victories. We are far more dangerous than a pair of young criminals."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Violet replied honestly, reaching up behind herself to pull Zenith free. "I'm guessing you've watched my spars, and my time spent in the forest then?"

Ironwood nodded, "I made sure Winter was up to date as well. It is our goal now to see how well you can combine the two. Do not take us lightly, Miss Regalia. The only rule is that you mustn't use your flames to kill. If either of us _are_ caught by them, we'll consider that person down for the count. Agreed?"

Violet frowned, stabbing Zenith into the floor momentarily to wave her hands back and forth in denial, "Wait, wait, wait." She pointed to her weapon, "What about my railgun?"

"That will be fine as well. Do not take us so lightly, Miss Regalia."

Violet scrubbed a hand across the back of her neck nervously, eyeing the weapon still in its greatsword form. It wasn't really meant for close range combat, but if she _did_ manage to catch either of them in its blast radius… Violet raised her eyes back up to consider the both of them. Two exceptional hunters, with years of experience and a host of potential unknown abilities at their disposal, fighting a single opponent in a forty by forty foot stage?

' _It wouldn't be much use in a situation like this, especially with them knowing exactly what it's capable of. They won't give me the chance to get a shot off anyway, so it doesn't really matter._ '

Violet nodded her head in understanding, reaching out to withdraw Zenith from the ground and moving into a prepared stance. "Whenever you're ready." She removed the weight from her body, knowing without a doubt that against the two of them, speed was going to be her top priority.

Ironwood drew a black handgun from his belt, hefting it in front of himself while still holding it by the grip. Winter moved off to the side, partially flanking Violet so that her attention would be divided. She unsheathed her rapier and separated it, now holding a thin sword in either hand.

"If you would do the honors, Glynda?"

Violet could see the usually stern teacher showing an ounce of trepidation for the upcoming spar. She raised one hand tentatively, looking to both parties and taking a moment to make sure they were all ready. At a silent nod from each, she slashed her riding crop in a quick line towards her feet. "Begin!"

' _Divide and conquer._ '

It was the only plan that Violet could see working, given the odds. As soon as the words left Glynda's mouth, Violet conjured an ice wall into being between herself and Ironwood. It stretched the entire length of the arena floor, a foot thick across and fifteen high.

The instant she did so, Winter was already upon her.

Violet spun Zenith in her hands, deflecting the darting jabs that attempted to pierce her haphazard defense. She ducked and weaved, incorporating what movement she could before sweeping Zenith in a wide arc and igniting its blade in amethyst flames. Winter dodged back, just in time to avoid the gout of crackling purple that was unleashed from the end, catching a section of the arena floor on fire.

Violet swept it in another arc, slashing a long horizontal line that unleashed more in Winter's direction. A black glyph appeared out of thin air, intercepting the flames that would have consumed her otherwise. Another glyph appeared beneath Violet's feet, and she felt the world give way as she was propelled skyward, thoroughly trounced from the defensive position she had created.

Managing to get herself under control, Violet raised Zenith in preparation to block a blow that never came. Instead, the ice wall to her side echoed with a resounding boom, much of it giving way to Ironwood's form as he crashed through. Angled perfectly for his attack, his cybernetic fist caught Violet in the chest, slamming her back down towards the arena floor below.

Violet felt a chunk of her aura vanish from the combined force of both. Knowing better than to remain defenseless on the floor however, she created a half wall of ice between herself and Winter while rolling back to her feet. The sound of something impacting the wall sounded almost immediately, the Specialist's follow up attack nearly capitalizing on Violet's previously downed form.

She wasn't given a moment to breath, as just as quickly, Ironwood was back upon her. His hand held his weapon by the barrel, using it as more of a miniature club than a firearm. Violet parried and backstepped, putting distance between herself so that she could remain within her own effective range. Once she had, Violet went on the counterattack, forcing Ironwood to retreat a few steps while she kept a wary eye to the side.

Instead, Winter came from above, using the very ice wall that Violet had created as cover to change positions. The young maiden had only a moment's notice, the hint of a flash of white in her top periphery. Reflexes honed from countless lives coming into action, Violet twisted out of her current attack to change it into a feint, then swung upwards instead to meet Winter's blow halfway.

Transferring the weight of her sword back into it the moment their blades struck, Zenith instead sent Winter flying back to tuck and roll across the arena floor. While Violet had technically won the small exchange, she hadn't actually done any damage to the woman's aura. The white glyph that appeared behind Winter spoke of how little reprieve she would have thanks to the exchange.

Violet was forced to backstep once more, dodging to the side with a sudden twist of her body as Ironwood's hand cannon was fired, aimed directly where she'd been the instant before. Knowing that Winter would return soon, Violet removed the weight from Zenith once more and darted forward, putting Ironwood between herself and the Specialist.

Ironwood was only marginally caught off guard, the greatsword momentarily used as a distraction before Violet delivered a spinning kick to his torso that had all of her body's mass behind it. Unfortunately, she'd been forced to kick the cybernetic half of his body. Violet felt the force dissipate completely into the metal exoskeleton, the sturdy hardware topped with aura weathering the blow with ease.

' _Metal?_ ' Violet decided she would need to shift gears if she wanted to stand a chance, even as Ironwood's hand grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her bodily off her feet. He spun once and threw, launching her in an awkward tumble that kept her from easily planting her feet on the tiles below.

Eyes once more taken off Winter in the exchange, Violet was only half surprised when the thick, meaty claw of a silvery Beowolf caught her midair, slamming the air from her lungs and sending her in a rough tumble across the arena floor. Violet found an opportunity to shove Zenith into the tiles, and ground to a halt before falling from the arena completely, only a few feet separating her from the drop.

The fight slowed momentarily, Ironwood and Winter allowing Violet the time to size up the situation she'd found herself in. There were not one, but three Beowolves prowling within the confined space. At the very least, Violet hoped that meant the woman herself would be stuck in place while commanding them, but she couldn't be completely certain of that limitation.

' _I really should have taken the time to ask Weiss more about it…_ '

Violet sighed, tearing Zenith from the ground to heft it once more and face off against the three Beowolves and Ironwood. ' _Nothing I can do about it now but observe._ ' The General still held his black pistol by the grip itself, but as of yet hadn't aimed it at Violet once more. ' _I'll take the summons down in one blow from my maiden powers, then see what I can do against Ironwood before Winter can jump back in._ '

With a firm nod from Violet, the fight began again. She moved at the same time as Ironwood did, but while Violet swept her sword in an arc to fire a cascade of crystalline stalagmites across the ground, Ironwood aimed behind himself and fired.

Violet cursed midswing, knowing that the sharpened cones of ice would aim true and take out the Grimm. Unfortunately, Ironwood seemed to have guessed her tactic and taken the opportunity to display his own mobility. Gravity Dust exploded out of the hand cannon with untold force, launching the large man on a direct path for the currently preoccupied Violet. He caught her at the end of her swing, fist colliding against her stomach with an unmatched brutality that knocked the air from her lungs.

Violet gasped for breath, knowing that she wouldn't have time to reclaim it if she didn't act fast. Zenith returned, this time arcing with lightning instead of flames. The bolts zapped off the greatsword's blade like a Tesla coil, connecting with Ironwood's body and denying him any chance at evasion. Lightning flashed across his body in a shock of purple, forcing him into a hasty retreat that still likely left his body feeling numb to the bone.

Knowing better than to think herself out of the woods yet, Violet spun to the side just in time to see the attack that Winter was attempting to deliver. Moving as if to repeat what she had done before, Violet instead removed the weight from Zenith so that Winter would come out victorious. The woman's blades met the greatsword, pressing it back, much to the woman's surprise.

Violet took her chance, and delivered a brutal blow of her own with her fist to the woman's chest, using her own momentum against her. Taking advantage of the opportunity she'd given herself, Violet swung Zenith hard at the momentarily immobilized woman. The blade still arced with lightning, promising a hit that would remove a hefty chunk of Winter's aura if it were to connect.

Ironwood had other plans, and fired his pistol so that the gravity dust round intercepted Zenith's blade. The greatsword was knocked down and off course, carving a deep gouge out of the tiled floor instead. Given time to recover, Winter hopped back a few steps to put distance between herself and the lightning infused blade.

Violet knew the fight was quickly becoming less and less in her favor. She was experienced enough to know how hard her aura had been hit within the few minutes since the fight had started. ' _I'll have to go all out…_ ' Violet thought worriedly, raising Zenith between herself and the two combatants. At least now they were more closely grouped. She could more easily keep an eye on the both of them, as much good as that would really do her.

"General?" Winter spoke the singular title as a question, a myriad of unspoken words passing between the two in an instant.

"Go ahead, Winter."

Violet tensed as a glyph appeared beneath Winter's feet, edges written in roman numerals and hand like a clock speeding up with each passing breath. She recognized the lightning glyph being utilized, and knew exactly what would happen if it were to be completed.

' _Not a chance!_ ' Violet sent out a shock of ice across the ground, a thin layer that drenched the entire floor aside from where she herself stood. Winter's eyes widened in surprise, and the glyph beneath her feet faded out entirely.

"So, Weiss has used those glyphs in the past, I take it?" Winter asked tensely, raising her weapons to ward off any potential attacks.

"Yup," Violet confirmed, lowering back into a proper stance now that the deed had been done. "And I tend to be rather observant. The obvious choice was ruining your footing~"

"Clever," Winter replied simply, taking stock of the current situation. "However, allow me to show you a combination that my sister has surely never replicated."

Another glyph appeared in the air, this one morphing into the form of another Beowolf. Violet was confused for only a moment, until she spotted the time dilation glyph once more spinning into effect, this time beneath the Beowolf's feet. It was completed in only the span of a couple seconds, the Grimm letting loose a primal roar that in itself, sounded as if played in fast forward.

' _Shit._ '

Violet threw Zenith up between herself and the Beowolf as it launched forward, moving at a speed unmatched by any other. It was all Violet could do to ward off its blows, the claws striking in a blur of wispy silver and bluish white. In only a moment, Ironwood joined the fray, blasting the ground that separated the two of them with his hand cannon in order to disperse the ice she had created.

Violet was forced to choose between claws or fists, as the blows rained down from either side. She did the best she could, blocking each attack as it came, but it wasn't enough. First, a slash of claws that slipped through and sparked against her aura, then a fist that forced her into the Grimm's awaiting clutches.

' _It's all or nothing!_ ' Violet thought frantically, deciding to do the only maneuver she could in such a situation. Violet dropped low, using Zenith to guard against another punch and claw simultaneously. With a sweeping spin that gave no regard to the blows that slipped by, she charged her blade with flames once more and slashed a quick line through the Beowolf, bisecting it in half.

Violet's spin continued, turning in a full 360 to try and unleash a fiery blast of amethyst flames. Ironwood had more than enough time to see the blow coming however, and the moment before it reached him, stopped Zenith dead in its tracks with the back of his hand cannon. The two stopped in place, fighting a battle of pure strength as Violet fought to force her blade past, to ignite Ironwood's body in dancing amethyst.

Ironwood smiled, "You show promise," the smile faded slightly, turning the slightest bit smug. "However…"

Violet felt the pommel of Winter's sword slam against the back of her head, shattering her aura and sending her to her knees. Control over mass gone completely and limbs too tired for much else, Zenith slammed to the ground heavily. The flames died out, ebbing away into nothing as the fight drew to a close.

"Wooh! Nice try, Violet!"

"You were so close!"

"Good job!"

Cheers erupted from the stands as the members of both teams yelled loudly, giving their praise despite the defeat that Violet had suffered. She allowed a small smile to curl her lips, and accepted the hand that Ironwood offered.

"That was better than I was expecting. You have a sharp mind for combat. We'll make _sure_ it's honed further," Ironwood's smile was now genuine, giving his compliments to the young maiden.

"Thanks," Violet got her breathing under control and raised a hand to the back of her head, rubbing away at some of the pain that her aura had been incapable of shielding her against. "I look forward to it~"

Ironwood stepped away as Ruby crashed into her with a hug, Yang and Blake following only a few feet behind. "Are you okay, Vi!? That was awesome! I wasn't expecting you to last that long!"

Violet smirked, "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Little Red. I'll have you know I could have taken them both with my hands behind my back if I really wanted to~"

"Pfft, sure you could, Vi~" Yang chided playfully, clapping a hand on her leader's shoulder. Her expression grew a little more somber and she shook her head, "Sorry that we've been so adamant about keeping you protected. You really can handle yourself well enough…"

Violet smiled in return, giving her head a shake, "Don't apologize. You only wanted to keep me safe. I feel the same about all of you. It's only fair, after all..."

Blake offered up a smile of her own, eyes slowly gazing across the wanton destruction that had taken place within the arena, "At least your complete disregard for other people's property hasn't changed~"

Violet smirked, "At least _this_ time we have Miss Goodwitch around to fix it." She tapped herself on the temple playfully, "You _can_ teach this old dog new tricks~"

Blake shook her head with a smile, allowing Violet's comment to go unchallenged as Ruby began to gush about the fight that had just taken place. Siren joined them as well, aside from Weiss who stepped aside to speak with her sister.

Ultimately, Violet was glad for the chance to show her friends what she was capable of. Even if she _had_ lost.

Now all that was left was the _other_ reason for coming here...

* * *

Ozpin remained in the stands, idly sitting forward with his chin resting against the end of his cane. Despite his best efforts, he had seen nothing to indicate that Violet might know more than she should during the confrontation. She had appeared surprised by all of Ironwood's tactics, and by the abilities that the older Schnee possessed that the younger did not.

For his own purposes, the entire exchange had been a bust.

"Let's go, Glynda. There is much work to be done."

The pair turned to leave, only to find a thick wall of ice standing between themselves and the door.


	39. Forced Truths

Ozpin froze mid-stride, his cane lowering to rest back on the step next to him. He turned with a curious but guarded glance, eyes only for the young maiden standing on stage. His gaze met hers, two points of blazing amethyst set above an apologetic smile. She stood with one hand raised, aimed at the door behind him. The rest of team Vibrant stood nearby, all having noticed by now what she had done.

Ruby's eyes had widened, her feet backing away the smallest step in fear and trepidation. Blake stood next to her, uncertainty plastered across her face, but also a firmness to her stance. Yang was the most stoic of all, leveling him with a pair of untrusting eyes that searched for truth while her hands remained clenched into fists at her sides.

The wizard's hand gripped the end of his cane tightly, and he raised it to cut off Glynda as she began to speak vehemently, undoubtedly questioning the young maiden's motives. Ozpin raised his opposite hand and let out a small cough, clearing his throat and making sure to maintain his composure before speaking.

"May I ask _why_ you have decided to trap us in this classroom, Miss Regalia?"

Ironwood and Winter were the last to notice, along with all of team Siren who had been focused on those around them during the development. They turned to the maiden with various levels of surprise and caution, though it was the Atlesians that made up the latter.

Violet's hand dropped, the opposite raising in its place to scrub through her hair while she adopted an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Headmaster. There's just a few questions that my team and I wanted to ask. The answers to which _are_ rather important, all things considered…"

' _Questions?_ ' Ozpin's mind scoured for what they might ask, hoping to have an advantage before the question was even posed. ' _What could have possibly caused this sort of reaction?_ '

Ozpin opened his mouth only slightly before he was cut off by James, the stern man stepping into Violet's field of view, "Miss Regalia. You have no right to demand _anything_ of your Headmaster. Your powers should _not_ be used in such a manner." His voice was gruff and unyielding, a man of higher station attempting to suffocate possible dissension.

"Seeing as it involves my _life_ , I think I have every right, General. I apologise for the abruptness of it all, but… I hope you'll forgive me when you hear what it is that I need to ask."

" _Violet!_ What are you doing!?" Weiss hissed, worriedly eyeing the adults in the room, but mostly her sister whose hand had drifted back down to the pommel of her sword. Winter's eyes were narrowed, her experiences with the maiden's typical attitude nonexistent aside from their brief spar.

"I'm listening, Miss Regalia," Ozpin sighed, shifting in place so that he was no longer angled towards the exit. Some of the tension deflated from the students, but the adults remained on guard.

The room quieted for a few seconds, Violet struggling in her attempts to pose the question. Both Blake and Ruby eyed her worriedly, obviously uncomfortable themselves with the way they had chosen to challenge the Headmaster.

"Who is Salem?" Yang blurted out roughly, surprising those who already knew and drawing confused glances from those that did not. "My mom told me a bit about her when we met. I wanted to hear what _you_ had to say… Is she _real?_ "

Ozpin's hand clenched the end of his cane more tightly, twisting in place as the only sign that his emotions had become unchecked. ' _Damn you, Raven. That is not a name that should be thrown around lightly!_ ' No wonder team Vibrant was so on edge. Depending on what information they'd been told, partial or otherwise, the existence of Salem was a terrifying prospect.

Still, he had to commend Violet. If she _already_ knew, she was doing a rather fine job at not showing it.

Regardless, there didn't appear to be any recourse to the situation aside from the truth. Abusing his station to deny them an answer would be far from ideal. His students would resent him for leaving them in the dark with incomplete knowledge, left only with the fact that he had been unwilling to trust them.

Ozpin allowed the grasp on his cane to loosen, setting it to lean against a nearby seat. He reached up and pulled the glasses from his face, then used the cowl around his neck to wipe them as he thought of the best avenue in which to answer. Finally placing them back on, he raised his eyes once more to those gathered below.

"May I ask what your mother told you, first? If she has given you conflicting knowledge, statements that are not factual, then I would be inclined to clear up any misinformation before filling in the rest."

"So that you'll know what parts you can keep _secret?_ " Violet raised an eyebrow, calling him out on exactly what he'd been planning. "I don't think so." Yang nodded firmly in agreement.

"Do you think so little of me, Miss Regalia? Truly, I thought we were on better terms than that," Ozpin confided honestly. He had been planning to leave out as much as possible, but it would have been for the childrens' sake, not his own. He gave a small shrug of his shoulders in defeat. "If that is how it must be, then so be it."

"Oz!" Ironwood interjected, a hint of anger in his voice, "You can't really be considering giving in to their demands, can you? Salem's existence-"

"Has already been revealed to them in some capacity, James, whether we like it or not. Our best course of action is to clear up any confusion or doubt, so that we may all move forward with a unified goal in mind. All I wish is for allies to _remain_ allies. Is that so wrong?"

Ironwood glowered for a few long seconds before giving in with an angry huff. He settled back into place and gestured for Winter to do the same. "Do what you must."

Ozpin nodded, turning back to the students, "Now then, on the topic of Salem. I can assume some of the things that your mother may have told you, excuses for why she ran, ways to plead her case and get you on her side." He raised a hand to quell the angry retort on Yang's lips, "I do not fault her for leaving, Miss Xiao Long. I only wish to remind you of why she revealed Salem to you in the first place. It was not out of some deep seated need to protect you. It was for her own gain, to protect her _image_ and to lessen her own blame in abandoning your family all those years ago."

Yang seethed silently, kept at bay by a hand on her shoulder from their leader.

Seeing there was to be no outburst, he continued, "Salem is _many_ things. None of which give inspiration to young hunters in their endless fight against the Grimm. Despite what she is, and the things she's capable of… the Grimm still _must_ be kept at bay. If the world was to know of her existence, it would breed fear, panic, and hopelessness. For that reason, before I speak any further, you must _all_ promise not to tell a _single_ soul after we leave this room. The name of Salem must _never_ leave your lips, not for _any_ reason, aside from behind closed doors with those who already know."

The members of team Siren glanced around at their fellow students, seeking direction. The members of Vibrant had eyes only for Violet, who simply nodded, accepting his terms and gesturing for him to continue. "We won't tell anyone. Not without your permission."

"Very well," Ozpin spoke with a tone of finality. He waited, allowing the gravity of the situation to fester before speaking once more. Truthfully… he wished his students never had to hear this.

"Salem is immortal. She both commands, and manipulates the Grimm to her own design. She seeks to tear apart the very kingdoms that humanity has built, and bring untold destruction in her wake. She is thousands of years old, and employs those that are easily fooled into her flock. The woman that attacked Amber is undoubtedly one of her servants, sent to steal the powers of the maiden to strengthen her cause."

Silence followed his speech, each student standing in fear, doubt, or confusion at the statements he had made.

"Th… This is a joke, right?" Weiss looked to him with an expression that he was familiar with, eyes pleading for comfort, for him to take back everything he had said and return her to the welcoming peace of ignorance.

Winter sighed, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, "It isn't, Weiss. Salem is the _true_ evil of this world. Until she is killed… no one will ever be safe."

"But… if she can't be killed," Nora spoke up in horror, looking to Ren for guidance. The boy seemed more numb than usual, standing stock still while processing the information he'd been given.

"She _can_ be killed," Violet surprised him, flashing Nora a comforting smile before returning her questioning gaze upon the Headmaster. "You think _I_ can kill her, right?"

"I _am_ sorry to place so much responsibility on your shoulders, Miss Regalia, but… yes. Destroying Salem's body has proven to be impossible. She regenerates from all damage done to her physical form. However, we believe that your flames will be able to destroy what we cannot. Her _soul_. The manner in which it kills Grimm, leaving them as husks that do not dissipate, gives us _all_ hope. Hope for a final conclusion to this war."

Violet laughed shakily, eyes drifting off to the side while her hand rubbed against the back of her head, "That's… a lot of responsibility to give a seventeen year old…"

"Indeed."

' _If you are what you claim to be, that is…_ '

"What made her?" Blake asked, finally gaining the courage to speak as well. She shrunk slightly when multiple eyes turned towards her, but all immediately returned to him, awaiting his answer with baited breath.

"Salem has existed since the beginning of Remnant itself, as far as history is aware. She is older than humanity and faunus alike, a being that has seen thousands of years of history pass… and never swayed in her one true goal."

"And you want to let Violet go with us to Mountain Glenn!?" Weiss uttered furiously, glaring up at him in confusion. "What if she _dies_ before she has a chance to stop Salem!?" Several other students appeared to agree, sending the same questioning eyes in his direction.

Ozpin rubbed his temple, "Believe me, Miss Schnee. That has been a constant state of worry on my part, and for _everyone_ that knows the truth of the matter. Unfortunately, there are… extenuating circumstances outside of our control that prevent Miss Regalia's exclusion… She must gain the skill required in order to defeat Salem, mustn't she? If Headmaster Ironwood and Specialist Schnee were capable of bringing Miss Regalia down, then I don't like her current chances against a being as ancient as Salem. She must develop as a maiden, through thick and thin, one trial at a time."

"Or she dies, and we forever lose our _best_ chance at bringing peace to the world…"

"I'm not going to die, Weiss," Violet laughed nervously, raising her hands to the rest gathered in the hopes of assuaging their fears. "Seriously, Ironwood and Winter are two of the best hunters on the planet, and even _they_ couldn't take me down without getting a few scrapes of their own. Aside from that," Violet turned back to Ozpin, "nobody knows what I am outside your inner circle, right?" she paused, raising a finger to her chin, "Other than Raven, anyway…"

Ozpin frowned, "And Roman Torwick, and Neopolitan. Two that I would much rather _not_ be privy to such delicate information. They are hardly loyal to the cause, after all. Only to saving their own skin."

Violet gave an embarrassed, half hearted chuckle, "Sorry…"

"Do not apologize, Miss Regalia. Learn from your mistakes and keep your secret closer to your chest in the future. There's no telling who may end up spreading such knowledge to our enemy, and Salem will not afford you the time to gather your strength."

"Yes, sir…"

"Is that everything?" Yang asked, a hint of suspicion remaining in her tone. "You aren't leaving anything out that we should know about?"

"Nothing that pertains to the situation at hand, Miss Xiao Long. You know what you must about Salem. Truly, there is nothing more that needs to be said."

Ozpin turned slightly after giving his students a few moments, waiting for any further questions to be sent his way. When none were, he gestured to the door behind himself, "If you wouldn't mind, Miss Regalia? Despite having the weight of the world on our shoulders, Glynda and I _do_ still have a school to run."

"Oh, y-yeah," Violet raised a hand and waved it across the door, particles of ice evaporating to nothing in an instant and unblocking their path.

Ozpin walked up the few remaining steps to the door, pulling it open before looking back over his shoulder to share with them a cautionary glance, "Remember. Be careful when discussing this. Your rooms are mostly sound proofed, as long as the volume of conversation remains at a reasonable level. See that it does."

Ozpin spared them a stern gaze, hoping to instill upon them the true gravity of the information they'd been imparted with. The students all readily accepted. Ozpin nodded and left them to it, exiting with Glynda in tow, and his mind on this unfortunate development. It pained him to know that his students would now be under the weight of such knowledge, but…

' _They would have needed to learn the truth eventually…_ '

* * *

The remote in Cinder's hand began to melt, black plastic slipping between tight fingers to run between them and drip upon the wooden floor. Each splatter brought a renewed hiss, steam rising up and drenching the room in a burning stench. Her hand closed fully, the last dredges running free as she forced herself to release it, eyes glaring at the screen in front of her.

" _White Fang hideout ransacked. Atlas military equipment seized._ "

The headline played across the bottom of the screen over and over, video above showing the mechs being loaded aboard the Mantas and ferried up to the awaiting battleships. Cinder seethed, her plans, painstakingly coordinated, falling through once more. She had to forcibly calm herself as her hand drifted down to her scroll, the heat emanating off it sparking against even her own aura.

Getting herself under some semblance of control, she withdrew her scroll and dialed her contact, the one responsible for the travesty that lay before her. The call went through, dial tone playing repeatedly while Cinder's patience wore thin. Finally, as the edges were beginning to blacken, the call went through.

Torchwick appeared on screen, his eyes wide despite his attempts at controlling his emotions. He smiled nervously, offering up a small wave that he'd never have done under normal circumstances, "H-Hey! Cinder! I was just going to ca-"

"Roman."

The singular name cut him off entirely, his eyes widening further and throat bulging as he gulped. Cinder could see the sweat dripping from his forehead, the terror clear in his eyes.

"You've _failed_ me, Roman. This was your last chance."

"W-wait, Cinder! There's more I could do! I can still be of use-"

Cinder's eye lit, maiden powers coursing through her veins as her temper flared, " _No_ , Roman. We're _done_. You have shown your worth, and I have deemed it lacking. If it hadn't been for your little friend, I would have ended you _already_."

Roman raised his eyes, glancing to his surroundings as if he expected attackers at any moment, "Well then, if that's how it's going to be…" He returned his attention to the scroll, narrowing his eyes with clear disdain, "I hope you _fail_. You've brought me nothing but grief ever since you swaggered into town, thinking you _owned_ the place. I've spent far too long making a reputation for myself to have that all thrown away because of you. They'll catch you, Cinder. Long before you have the chance to find me. You'll be a bad _memory_ , one that Neo and I will joke about in years to come."

Cinder glared as he rambled, but ultimately knew that they were the words of a soon to be dead man. A smug smile crossed her face that still betrayed the pure _hatred_ she felt, "I _will_ find you, Roman. The White Fang will scour every _inch_ of this city. We know all of your contacts, all of your safehouses. I will tear apart _everything_ you have built, and then...? Once you're in my hands…" She raised one, flame scorching the air, then closed her fist to extinguish it in an instant. " _Enjoy_ your last few days alive, Roman."

Cinder hung up the call and dropped her scroll on the table in front of her, taking a few seconds to calm down. The man behind her shifted uncomfortably, reminding her of his presence. News of the Paladin's recovery had been brought to her by an escaped member of the Fang, having seen the entire confrontation himself and managing to slip away in the ensuing chaos.

"Who was it?" Cinder asked simply, sitting back in her chair.

"S-some H-Hunters, and a uh, s-school kid," the petrified faunus replied, feeting shuffling in the desire to leave.

Cinder grimaced, "Did the child have purple hair? She's proven herself to be far too big a nuisance to ignore any longer."

"N-no. This girl was blond, same as one of the huntsmen that showed up."

"More of them?" Cinder sighed. ' _How many children is Ozpin willing to risk? I thought he would be more concerned for his students' well being..._ ' If she recalled correctly, the thorn, 'Violet', did have a blond teammate as well. Mercury had told her as much in his reports before he'd died. A pity, to lose such a valuable asset.

And now again, she had lost. This time, the means with which to expedite the operation in Mountain Glenn. The Paladins would have been an unmatched utility in clearing the place of Grimm, and rubble blocking the tracks. Cinder brought a hand up to scrub it across her face in annoyance, ' _Setback after setback… I need to take their focus away from offense. They believe themselves to be untouchable. That I couldn't seek them out and put an end to them myself at any moment…_ '

As the news reel continued to play, Cinder watched a pair of huntsmen step from the building into the street. One of them a blond man she didn't recognize, the other the one that had interrupted her while extracting the maiden powers from Amber. Cinder scowled, watching the two acting so nonchalant, completely free of fear that she might attack in kind.

' _No more._ '

If she wanted her plans to remain unhindered, Cinder herself would have to go on the offensive. Mercury and Emerald had failed, much to her surprise. Surely sending any of the White Fang would end with much the same result. A crimson flame danced across her finger as her eyes settled on the blond.

' _The father to the one on her team, perhaps?_ ' The smouldering glare on Cinder's face gave way to a grin, eyes still burning with malice in the light reflected from the flame in her hands. ' _That would certainly make them think twice about attacking me again._ '

"Tell Adam to hunt down Torchwick's allies. All of his contacts, anyone that's done business with him. I want them _all_ wiped off the face of Remnant. Once that's done, track down the man himself and bring him before me," Cinder raised her hand, allowing the flames to coalesce before firing a bolt at the men on screen. The fire struck, flames lighting it up instantly, causing the electronics to let out a few last pitiful flickers before dying completely. The faunus behind her whimpered, nodding fiercely.

"I'll be on a little hunt of my _own_ in the meantime."


End file.
